Logan's Run
by J.M. Bowers
Summary: One hour. One team of heroes under attack. One last chance to be a hero. My name is Garfield Logan, and today is the day I die...
1. The End

This following story will probably not make a lot of sense. That's okay. It's not supposed to. My advice: You might need to be on a little bit of _CRANK _to understand the story. As usual, any and all comments are welcome. Enjoy...

* * *

As the winds howled around Titan Tower, the citizens of Jump City were on their way to a nice, warm home and a cup of soup to relax with as the storm clouds came rolling in. The gigantic tower just offshore, however, remained inactive, the lights from the building have been turned off some time before. The Titans were nowhere in sight, but from the look of things they were out and about being heroes.

Inside the tower, things looked as dark and foreboding as the outside. The living room, usually alive with activities ranging from video game wars to all-night horror movie marathons, sat in a dead silence that was unsettling enough to disturb even Raven - had she been there.

Suddenly, the lights shot back on in the tower, springing life back into the haunting structure. The winch and pulleys creaked as the elevator was called from the lower floor. It seemed the intrepid heroes had returned at last from a hard-fought victory. But things are not always how they seem.

As the elevator made its turn back up towards the living quarters, a phone rang out ominously in the quiet room. After a few rings, the answering machine picked up.

"Hello, this is the Teen Titans HQ," Robin's prerecorded voice said. "Sorry we couldn't be here to pick up your call in person, but if you leave a message and a number we'll get back to you as soon as we get back. Thanks."

BEEP! The internal recorder kicked in, catching all the audio from the caller. It was a strange call indeed.

"Hey guys, it's me," Beast Boy's voice said, barely audible over the howling of the wind. "Heh, looks like I let you down again. It's like all my life I've just been going, going, going. Kinda wish I'd taken more time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. Guess it's too late for that now. You're the best friends I ever had. And by the way…Love ya, Rae."

CLICK. The line went dead. This little machine had recorded a single memento for the Titans to remember for the rest of their lives. At least for four of them…


	2. Rewind to the Beginning

_My name is Garfield Logan, and today is the day I die.  
__This day began like all the rest, which I guess is to say that it was boring as all shit. Looking back, I kinda wished it had stayed that way, but hey – I ain't no fuckin' magician. Maybe I should just cut to the chase –_

* * *

"BEAST BOY!"

The loud shout from the Titan leader brought the young shape shifter back to attention.

"Yo, what?" he said, somewhat disoriented as he sat back up.

The other Titans were positioned on the couch around the young hero. Cyborg was to the left of him, Starfire to the right, and Raven to the right of her. Robin, meanwhile, was standing in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed over his chest. One look at his face told BB that he wasn't all sunshine and unicorns.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy," the masked hero said with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice, "but is my mission briefing boring you?"

BB cleared his throat. Now was not the time to be a smartass, but it was just too tempting. "Well, now that you mention it…" he began.

"Shut it, Beast Boy," Raven's voice growled out from under her hood. "Robin's not quite impressed with your sarcasm, and frankly neither am I."

"Oh, come on!" the shape shifter said, a tone of irritation in his voice. "Okay, I'm sorry about spacing out back there, but if Rob could explain his game plan like he wasn't Ben Stein I'd be listening in a whole lot better."

"Robin may explain his plan any way he wishes," Starfire said, curtly. "This 'Ben Stein' that you speak of cannot change that."

Beast Boy opened his mouth to correct the Tamaranean, but thought better of it. "Sure, sure, whatever," he mumbled under his breath as he sunk down into the couch, arms crossed and a sour look on his face. "Keep going then."

"I'm glad I have your permission," Robin said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Now, as I was saying before I had to broadcast a wake-up call, the H.I.V.E. has been on lockdown status for nearly three weeks – no one in or out. My guess is Brother Blood is hatching something pretty big down there that he doesn't want anyone to find out about. But that's not about to happen. We're going to the H.I.V.E. in order to put an end to whatever Blood is up to. Now, the place will be on high alert, so we've got to be extra careful-!"

The Boy Wonder's speech came to a quick halt as Titan Tower's security system came blazing on. The teenaged heroes soon found themselves bathed in a sea of red light.

"Titans, we've got a breach in our perimeter!" Robin said, matter-of-factly.

"Gee, how'd you ever figure that one out?" BB said, returning the sarcasm that had been heaped on him nearly a minute ago.

"BB, would you just shut it?!" Cyborg hollered as he sprung to his feet. "Now's not the time to be a snot-!"

* * *

_It all happened so quickly, there wasn't really enough time to react. The main doors blew open with enough force to stun an elephant. Raven was screaming at Robin. Something about a bad feeling or whatnot – I couldn't really make it out. Probably because I was focused on the wave of H.I.V.E. soldiers that were pouring through the door like a pack of sardines. That tends to grab your attention like a Taser to the balls. Looked like Blood's plan was going into effect now. Maybe if Robin hadn't jerked us off with his boring briefing we'd have been the ones knocking down their fucking doors.  
__  
Now, I think I know what you're thinking. You might be thinking as you're reading this, 'Hey – if this is Beast Boy's inner monologue, why's he acting like such an ass?' Well, first off: F-U-C-K Y-O-U. If you read on just a little bit further, you'll understand why I'm a little pissed off as of the moment. Second: see Number 1.  
__  
Anyway, now I'm dodging laser blasts because I had to explain to you jackoffs what the deal was, looking to find a way out of the crowded living room. I see Raven throwing up a gang of force fields to buy the rest of the team some time, but they don't work when you don't get behind them. Robin's busy exchanging blows with these nameless suits while Starfire and Cyborg lay down some covering fire. In the heat of the moment, I see him.  
__  
Brother Blood. He's gone some shit-eating grin on his face, like he just won the lottery. If I'd only known…  
__  
Anyway, the H.I.V.E. soldiers are soon being accompanied by students from the H.I.V.E. Mammoth, Gizmo, See-more, Billy Numerous and a handful of other fucks were shifting the battle in their favor. Raven's going down, multiple Billys pinning her down on her knees and covering her mouth. An explosion to my left tells me that Starfire just lost by technical knockout. I'm still looking for a way out. Gotta get to a better vantage point. No good to anybody lying unconscious on the floor with some cocksucker standing on my neck. Suddenly, there's a flash in front of my eyes. Strange…almost as if I known him…  
__  
Then I feel the pain. My head practically explodes from within. Not a pleasant feeling. Doesn't last too long, however, as the darkness rolls over me like a semi.  
__  
My last thoughts: I hope I don't have to clean this shit up._


	3. Don't Call It A Comeback

_I'm greeted with silence. My head is pounding like a jackhammer on speed. Getting to my feet, I take a look around._ _The tower's trashed. Burn marks are evident all over the walls. H.I.V.E. soldiers always were shitty shots. Probably couldn't commit suicide if their lives depended on it._

_Looking back on the coffee table, I see something I was sure wasn't there before the blackout. A single disc sat on the table, bearing the words 'FUCK YOU' in perfectly eligible block print. Probably Blood's handwriting. None of his students could stop waxing their carrot long enough to write their name on their pop quizzes, let alone contemplate something as convoluted as what occurred here…whenever the fuck that was. Undaunted, I pick it up and drop it into the DVD player. Damn thing managed to survive the firefight without a scratch. Gotta love Sony._

_The disc's playing. Suddenly, Blood's face appears on the screen. Looks like he had enough time to record this message in the tower before I awoke. My attention now focuses solely on the words that are about to spew from his wrinkled ass lips._

"Hey, Beast Boy!" Brother Blood's visage was a little shaking. That was to be expected however, as this video was being filmed on the fly. "Boy, I bet you're feeling like shit right about now, eh?"

_Now that he had mentioned it, I wasn't feeling too hot at all. The room seemed to spin around me. Everything was dipping into slow-motion without warning, like a deranged TiVo with an attitude. Funny, now the walls sound like they're laughing at me…wait a sec…that's not the walls…_

"I can't imagine what's running through that primitive brain of yours, Mr. Logan, but I'm sure it isn't pleasant. On the other hand, I'm certain that I don't know what's going through Starfire's mind as of the moment, either – but I'm willing to bet it's not too pleasant, either." Blood's mouth turned upwards in a sadistic grin. "Would you like a better view?"

_The camera blurs as the monkey behind it whirls around to the coffee table – the same one I found the disc on. Only this time I see Starfire stretched out across it. Billy Numerous must have been enjoying himself a little too much, as over a dozen Billys were holding her down. Billy No.13, however, was busy stroking a long red feather slowly over Star's exposed belly. One look at her face told me she was feeling it. Star was incredibly ticklish, and something like this was absolute torture for her. As for the extra Billys – well, I'm sure that there's at least one account of Numerous pleasuring himself to Starfire's squirming visage. _

_I watched for the twenty-five seconds that the scene took to play out. I am sickened. I am angered. I am strangely aroused._

_The camera snaps back into place on Blood's face, still smiling._

"She's so cute when she's being tickled, isn't she?" the H.I.V.E. leader said, teasingly. "Oh, I so wish you could be awake to see it, but that's not quite in the cards, is it?"

_The camera pans again. This time, I see myself. I'm sprawled out on the floor where I was leveled during the attack. Damn, I still look good even when I'm unconscious. _

"To be honest, BB, I didn't want to have to do this to you," Blood's voice came from off-screen, "but a client of mine wanted it to go down like this. Nothing personal…just business. However, there is someone here who wants to talk to you."

_The camera pans around. Then I see him. Fucking Adonis. Thought I recognized his ugly mug when I was looking for the exit. He seems pretty happy as well. Probably just got done blowing his grandpa. _

"Hey, BB," the handsome villain said, smirking. "Looks like your time has run out. Look, I know you and I have a bit of a history, so I feel it would be only fitting that I explain what's happening to you. See, the original plan was just to capture you along with the rest of the Titans and kill you nice and slowly. However, that plan has been cut from the story in favor of an even more dastardly scheme."

Adonis shook his head, laughing as he did so. As he did, he rose up a small metallic syringe into the viewfinder of the camera. "Ooo, what's this, now?" he said, laughing. "I'll tell you. It what we like to call some of that good old fashioned synthetic shit. This shit right here, it's gonna make sure you aren't going much of anywhere except right to Hell."

_I can feel my blood pressure rising as that faggot-ass fuck kneels down beside my body. I see him plunge the heavy-gauge needle deep into the back of my neck. The plunger depresses, emptying the contents of the syringe straight into my body. Fucker's poisoned me. With what was the question now…_

"Oh, that's just some sick shit, ain't it?" Adonis said, smiling. "Maybe I oughta let the head guy explain what's gonna happen to your monkey ass."

Blood soon reappeared back on camera. "Thanks, Adonis," he said, directing his comment back off-screen. Looking back at the camera, the man rubbed his hands together.

"Beast Boy, this 'synthetic shit' that Adonis was talking about is designed to bind to your red blood cells and disrupt your body's ability to regulate its' normal systems. Once that binding has occurred…well, you're fucked. By the time you see this, you'll have about an hour left."

Grinning one last time, Blood waved goodbye to the camera. "No hard feelings, Mr. Logan. Just die knowing that your friends are going to suffer more than you could ever imagine, so maybe you should be thankful that you're just gonna fade away. Have a nice time with whatever time you got left."

As Blood looked away from the camera, he face hardened back up. "Billy, that's enough!" he yelled off-screen. "You'd better let up off of her! If she pisses on my car seat, I'm gonna beat you to death with your own hard-on…"

CLICK. End feed.

* * *

_My head is burning up. I've never felt so fucked over in my life. Adrenaline pumping through my veins, all I can think about is breaking Blood's face and killing Adonis with something big and painful. Doesn't seem like something Beast Boy of the Teen Titans would do. Then again, I was leaving him here at the tower today. He'd only get in the way._

_In a fury, I pick up the recliner in my hands. With inhuman strength, I hurl it at the big screen. The glass shatters under the protective film. Fuck it. Robin can take it out of my pay. Provided we both live long enough for that to happen._

_My legs are pumping as I run to the elevator. The call buttons have been smashed in. I don't have the time or the expertise to override them. Kicking out the emergency door, I sprint down the stairs with a speed that would surprise even Kid Flash. Within a minute's time I'm down the fifteen stories and in the garage. Rushing into the room, I come to a sudden stop. Back up a few paces. Grab the keys hanging on the wall near the tool bench. Cyborg wasn't going to be using his car today. If anything, I needed it more. Made a mental promise not to fuck it up. Not too much, anyway._

_Charging towards the Cy-Car, I dove through the window like Bo Duke. Or the other Duke. Fuck, how should I know? I don't watch the damn show. Key in the ignition, pedal to the floorboard. Shit, better hit the door control…_

The overhead door to Titan Tower's garage slowly began its' trek upwards. Apparently, it would not be fast enough.

CRASH! The sheet metal tore as the Cy-Car plowed a giant hole in the bottom of the door. The collision wrenched loose the bumper of the vehicle, flinging it wildly into the tunnel leading from the tower to the main streets of Jump City.

_Fuck. Well, not like I tend to keep promises anyway. As I tore ass down the tunnel, I had time to reflect on the tape I had witnessed. Why would Blood and Adonis go above and beyond the call of duty to get rid of me? Perhaps they found out about what happened all those years ago…_

_The undercarriage of the Cy-Car sparks as I hit the main road. Quickly, I pop out the emergency cell phone that Cyborg had installed in the car. I surmise it was for emergencies, and being poisoned sure sounded like a fucking emergency to me. Dialing out, I just hoped there is someone on the other end._

* * *

The phone rang out loud in the tower of the well-known Teen Titans East. A party had been going on for quite some time, so the loud ring tone was nearly lost among the music and the laughter. However, someone seemed to catch the tone at just the right time.

"Hello?" Kole's voice rang out over the phone.

"Kole? What are you doing at the Tower?" Logan asked, surprised.

"Well, Bumblebee and Speedy decided we needed to celebrate our defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil in style, so they invited everyone down for some fun," the honorary Titan, said giggling.

"We beat the Brotherhood of Evil damn near six months ago!" Garfield said, furiously. "How long can you guys party about some shit that's already happened? Furthermore, why didn't I get an invitation? I led the motherfucking charge!"

"Well, I guess yours might've got lost in the mail," the girl said, giggling again. The constant laughter was beginning to irritate the young man.

"Fuck's wrong with you?" he asked in a huff. "Are you fucking high?"

"I'm not telling…" Kole said, her voice just like a little kid's. That was all Logan needed to hear.

"She's high," he said, holding the phone away from his face."Fine, fine, whatever. I need to talk to Aqualad."

"Um, he's not here as of the moment," the girl said. There was the giggling again.

"Then where the fuck is he?!" Logan said, shifting out of the wrong lane of traffic.

"How am I supposed to know?" Kole asked. "Why don't you try and reach him on your communicator?"

"Because mine just got fried in a triple monkey-ass beatdown!" Garfield said, feeling his anger rising. If he could have, he would be choking the stoned Titan right through the phone. "Here's an idea, you twat: Why don't _you_ hail him on _your _communicator and tell him that Garfield Logan is a dead man if he doesn't call me back within the hour!"

"O-okay," Kole said, giggling. "Could you spell that for me?"

"Sure – D-E-A-D," the Titan said, angrily. "Logan. Tell him to call me on the Cy-Car's cell phone. He knows the frequency."

"Okay, I'll do just that," the girl said, giggling once again as she felt Speedy's hands roam her naked form.

"Yeah, sure," Logan said, shaking his head. "Just don't do it while you have a mouthful of cock, would ya? This is kinda important."

"Can do," Kole said, happily. "Have a nice day."

Logan's face tightened up as the phone went dead. "FUCK!!!"

_Well, that was a complete waste of time. Gotta try another number. Maybe I'll have better luck. Though the way I'm going right now, I doubt it._

* * *

The phone rings for a few moments in a quiet apartment on the upper east side. Time and issues had caused a young Donna Troy to take refuge in Jump City for a time. At least her cousin could be there to help her. Too bad she wasn't quite awake yet to help him…

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! GODDAMN COCKSUCKING…!" Logan's colorful tirade stopped as Donna's answering machine came on:

"Hey, this is Donna. Leave me a message. Unless you're trying to sell something, then I'm probably not interested but…oh man, time's up!"

"Get a cell phone, Cuz," the Titan said dejectedly before tossing the phone in the seat.

_Oh-for-two. I'm batting a fucking thousand today. I take another hard right, barely able to keep the car on the road at these speeds. Got an idea. Head down the road a little more. Club Azarath. Someone inside knows something about what the fuck's going on. In three minutes, he's going tell me all about it._


	4. Word Up!

Club Azarath was in full swing. The patrons of this nightclub were here to party, be it rain or shine, day or night. The addition of the topless dancers had driven business through the roof. Needless to say, anyone who was trying to hide from the light of day could likely be found in Azarath.

Control Freak was one of those people. The light of day was usually a bit too bright for his liking. Then again, a couple of big titties in his face was always a good thing in his book. He dove in again to the pair that were right next to him, sending the girl they were attached to into a fit of giggling. "Stop, it tickles!" she cried, throwing her head back.

"Come on, I know you like it," Freak said, his voice somewhat muffled by the breasts encasing his face. It was then, as he rolled his head to the side, that the rotund villain noticed an unexpected sight: Beast Boy was coming straight for him, his face as hard as stone. Whatever was on his mind must have been pretty serious. Here he was, surrounding by more tits than he had probably seen in his entire life and he didn't even bat an eyelash.

Freak sat back up as the Titan walked up to the table. Without a word, he pointed to the two girls sitting on either side of the villain with each hand.

"You. Fuck. Off." he said, punctuating the words by first giving them the finger followed by jutting his thumbs away from the table as if the girls were deaf and had to be told by sign language. Eying him angrily, the two girls soon split, looking for another sugar daddy.

Seeing his entertainment walking away, Control Freak didn't have much better to do than look at BB as he slid a chair back-first to the table. Getting on it, he leaned forward, bringing his face practically inches from the villains.

"You…uh…look like you got something on your mind," Freak said, smiling. The Titan simply continued to glare at the fat man, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Bad day, perhaps?"

"You could say that," Logan said, his voice a growl. "Although I would like to know, maybe, perhaps…what the FUCK is going on?"

The villain shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, bro," he said, smiling. "Can't help you there."

The Titan delivered a tight smile in regards to Control Freak's response. He followed that up by grabbing the back of the villain's head and slamming it on the table. Music's loud, nobody'd heard a thing.

"OW! Shit!" The fat man said, snapping back up as he rubbed his forehead. "Man, when did you become so violent?"

Logan cocked his head to the side. "I was in the Doom Patrol for years, Freak," he said, firmly. "What'd you think we did all day, sit around and knit fuckin' potholders?"

"Well, you didn't have to shout," the villain said, taking back a swig of his drink. Putting the glass down, he sighed. This was not going to be easy.

"Look man," he said, slowly, "the short version of what's going on is this: You're fucked."

The green man practically launched across the table as he grabbed up the collar of Freak's jacket tightly in his fists. "Tell me something I don't know, fuckwad!" he hollered, his teeth clenched in rage.

"Look, man, I don't know why they did it, alright!" the fat man said, holding his hands up in surrender. "All I know is that you must have pissed someone off real bad to inject you with that synthetic shit. They only use that stuff on guys they want out of the game in a real big hurry!"

"What about the Titans?" Logan asked, sternly. "Where do they fit into the situation?"

"I dunno," Freak said, shaking his head. "Consolation prize, I guess? Fuck man, how am I supposed to know? Those guys don't keep me in the loop!"

"Bullshit!" the Titan said. "You've got your eyes and ears everywhere, so don't tell me…"

_That's when it hits me. Like acid coursing through my veins. My heart is on the verge of taking a dirt nap, and it seemed like it was taking me with it. My grip on the fat man loosened up, and I used the table for support. This was bad._

"Damn, looks like they got you good," Control Freak said, leaning in to take a closer look. "You can feel everything shutting down, can't you? Man, that _has_ to be a shitty feeling."

Leaning back, he smiled. "Maybe you should've just stayed in the tower and died, man."

_As Control Freak was busy giving himself a hand, I had time to recollect on my trip over there. The two worthless phone calls were not the focus, however. It was the driving. Every time I pressed down on the gas, every time I felt that sudden surge of power, my mind began to clear and the nagging pain began to recede. Whatever was in me could be staved off by excitement, by some sort of rush. Good. Maybe I didn't have just an hour left after all. _

"Look, what you need to do is just relax, grab a brew, sit down and let yourself go out in a big ol' tittyfuck," Freak said, raising his glass. As he did so, two big black bouncers who had witnessed the exchange between the two had worked their way over to the table.

"Mr. Freak, is this shithead bothering you?" one of them asked.

Logan looked back up at the smirking villain. His time would come, but not right now.

"No, Freak, I don't need to do that," he said, quietly.

The fat man cocked his head to the side. "Then what do you need to do?" he asked.

The Titan smiled. "I need to kick some me black ass," he said.

_DING._


	5. Doin' It Like Jake and Elwood

_I'm an animal. I don't mean that I can just change into an animal; I mean I'm a real fuckin' animal. I jump up in the air, driving my head forcefully into the nose of the fist bouncer. I can feel the cartilage crack underneath my forehead. That's gotta hurt._

"Oh SHIT!" Control Freak yelled as he watched the green Titan level the bouncer. "Well, there he's goes again."

_ As the other bouncer checks on his buddy, I leap on top of a nearby table. Time to get this party started._

"Hey, assholes!" Logan roared at the top of his lungs. "Who wants green meat?!"

_That does the trick. Suddenly there's six more burly gorillas bouncing out of the back. The whole building's practically expanding with the amount of violence me and the boys are causing. Not too long before somethign gives. Uh-oh, I'm in the air. Looks like I'm headed for the exit…_

CRASH! The door to Club Azarath blows off its' hinges as Logan comes soaring through the air, landing mere feet from the Cy-Car. Picking himself up, the Titan isn't ready to give up just yet.

"Come on, you fucks!" he said, dancing around the front of the car while keeping his eyes on the mob headed towards him. As they drew close, he jumped in the car. Starting it up, he was able to tear ass out of harm's way, leaving the irate club goers hurling obscenities as well as bar stools after the retreating car.

_Gamble's worked. I can feel my heart pumping a mile a minute. Body's a little sore, but fuck it. No worse than any other day being a Teen Titan. As I blow past a red light, the cell phone rings._

"Aqualad, is that you?" Garfield asked as he picked up the phone.

"Well, you're still alive, asshole." Adonis's voice chuckled from the other end. "Got to hand it to ya – you're a persistent little motherfucker."

"Glad to be of service," the Titan said, sarcastically.

"Speaking of service," the villain mused, "I've been thinking about what exactly I'm gonna do to your little friends – especially Raven. Hmm, maybe she'll enjoy me sticking it in her. What do you think, BB?"

"You got a funny way about you, Adonis," Logan said, shaking his head. "First you wanna kill me, then you need a booty call? Make up your fucking mind!"

"HEY! HEY ASSHOLE!" the young man's voice was now hard as ice. "You keep pissing me off like this and I just might have to rape your little…"

""Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're gonna rape Raven," the green man said. "Then you're gonna boink Starfire, then you're gonna finger my grandma…blah, blah, fucking blah."

Suddenly, the shape shifter was aware of flashing lights in his rear view mirror. Looking up for a moment, he noticed three cop cars tailing close behind. "FUCK!" he screamed as he slammed on the gas.

"Oh, you got a pair on you, boy," Adonis said, the hint of a 'you just fucked up big time' tone in his voice. "You know, I wonder if-!"

Logan heard a beeping sound coming from the phone. "Sorry princess, I got another call," he said, hanging up and leaving the handsome villain basically holding his dick in his hand. "Hello?"

"BB, it's Aqualad," the voice came over the phone.

"You fuckin' motherfucker!" The Titan said, angrily. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Getting my dick sucked by Madame Rogue," Lad said.

"Very funny," Logan said, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously." Lad's response brought a rather disturbing image to the shape shifter's mind.

"Fuck! Is everybody's getting laid besides us here in Jump City?" he said, disgustedly.

"Sounds that way," the Titan's voice replied.

"Whatever," Garfield said, dejectedly. "Listen man, I'm in some serious shit. Blood's kidnapped the Titans and I've been poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Lad's voice was in shock. "With what?"

"I don't know," Logan said, drifting in and out of lanes in an attempt to loose the cops. "All Adonis said was that this was some kind of synthetic shit."

_The cops were on me bad. Weaving wasn't gonna do me any good. Hmm. Time for Plan B._

"Hold on a sec, Lad," the Titan said as he turned the wheel – straight into the Jump City Mall of America! The glass doors shattered and people ran for their lives as the Cy-Car barreled into the shopping center. "Okay, I'm back."

"Alright, listen. What is it that's happening to you?" Aqualad asked, delving into his knowledge of both natural and synthetic chemicals.

"It's like…like I'm slowing down," Garfield said as he sped past multiple clothing stores. "Like I'm out of sync with the world."

"Okay," Lad said, contemplating the diagnosis. "Blurred vision?"

"Check."

"Loss of muscular functions?"

"Check."

"A pain in your chest?"

"No, not right now," Logan said, shaking his head. "In fact, I feel pretty good as of the moment."

"What are you doing right now?" Lad asked, concerned.

"I'm driving through a mall," the man said, matter-of-factly.

"Well, that settles it," the voice said from the other end. "My guess is that Adonis gave you the H.I.V.E. Cocktail."

"The what?" Garfield asked.

"The H.I.V.E. Cocktail," Lad repeated. "It's a synthetic compound designed to bind with your red blood cells and choke off the adrenal gland in your body. Basically, it's robbing your system of adrenaline while slowing your heart down. If the drug takes full effect, your heart will stop…permanently."

"Fuckin' wonderful," Logan said, grimacing.

"Look, BB, the only way to combat the poison is to keep your adrenaline level high," Lad said. "You stop, you die."

Logan, meanwhile, was busy flipping the Cy-Car over a fountain and up onto the escalator.

"Jesus Christ, what's going on there?" Aqualad asked. "Are you there, BB?"

"Yeah, I'm here," the Titan said as he crawled out the driver side window. "I didn't catch what you said last."

"If you stop, you die," Lad repeated.

"That's what I'm trying to do," Logan said as he sprinted down the upper floor of the building and into a clothing store. "Just trying to keep going."

"Listen, I'm on my way back to the Tower here in Steel city," Aqualad said, calmly. "When I get back, I'm gonna try and contact the Herald. He might be able to help us find the Titans. Until then, just keep moving. While you're at it, find Rose. She might be able to help you out."

Logan was now in the storeroom of the mall and heading towards the emergency exit. "Can do," he said. "Late."

_FUCK! Just what I needed…_

Kicking out the door, Logan tore ass across the grass and onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, he spotted a taxi cab sitting nearby.

"Hey! Taxi!" he called out. The ploy worked, as the driver looked over at him. With no hesitation, he jumped into the back seat as the driver stared at him.

"Where to?" the driver asked in a thick Indian accent.

"Just drive," the Titan snapped.

As the car pulled away from the curb, Garfield ducked down as patrol cars whizzed by at blazing speed.

_Too damn close. Gotta get out of here and go find Rose. I don't want to, but I don't have too many options…_

_Shit! My chest is tightening up again. The rush has worn off. I'm stuck in the back of this car and I'm dying. What to do…_

"Hey, crank the radio," the Titan said.

The driver looked at him strangely. He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted this fare after all.

"I SAID CRANK IT!" The extra bass in the man's voice was good enough. The driver turned the knob as far as it would go. Instantly, the lyrics began flowing through the speakers:

_**Define your meaning of fun  
To me it's when we're gettin' done  
I feel the heat comin' off of the blacktop  
So get ready for another one  
Let's take a trip down memory lane  
The words circulate in my brain  
You can treat this like another all I'm saying  
But don't cry like a bitch when you feel the pain**_

_**It's been a long time coming  
And the table's turned around  
Cause one of us is goin'  
One of us is goin' down  
I'm not runnin'  
It's a little different now  
Cause one of us is goin'  
One of us is going down!**_

_I feel the music in me. Slowly, I start nodding my head to the beat. It's a long shot, but it's all I got as of the moment. I start head banging in the back of the cab, stomping my feet on the floor as he drives. Yes, it's working. It's actually fuckin' working! Gotta buy me enough time to get where I'm going. Speaking of buying…_

"Pull over here!" Logan said.

The cab quickly cut into the parking lot of a local convenience store. Quickly hopping out, the Titan looked back at the driver.

"Stay put," he said, sternly. "I'll be right back."

As Logan walked into the store, the clerk behind the counter went wild with surprise.

"Dude, you're fuckin' Beast Boy from the Teen Titans!" he said, ecstatically. "Man, it's an honor!"

"Thanks, but I don't have time for an autograph," Garfield said, quickly. "Where do you keep your energy drinks?"

"I-I-in the cooler right near the back," the clerk said.

Without waiting, Logan pulled the trash bag out from can, Quickly dumping the contents onto the floor, he made his way to the cooler and started pulling every can he could get his hands on.

_This stuff's a bunch of sugary shit, but it'll keep me going just a little while longer._

Cracking the top of a Red Bull, Logan redialed his cousin's phone number. As he guzzled it down, he was met with that same answering machine message again.

"FUCK!" he yelled, hurling the now-empty can across the store.

With his loot in tow, the Titan grabbed a couple energy shots from the counter and as many packets of the NO-DOZE that he could get his hands on.

"Dude, I hate to be a buzz kill, but you are gonna have to pay for that," the clerk said, sheepishly. Quickly, Logan tossed a small wad of bills on the counter.

"Keep the change, man," he said as he hurried back to the cab.

_Well, not exactly graceful, but then again I never was. As the cab merges back into traffic, I pop another Red Bull and swallow a few packets of the NO-DOZE. Music's still cranked. Hopefully between the two I'll live long enough to get to Rose's place. Dude, this is going to suck cock big time._


	6. A Kiss From A Rose Hurts Like Hell

The apartment wasn't some posh retreat_,_ but it was in a part of town that the police didn't patrol regularly. It was a good apartment if you weren't looking to be found – especially if you happened to be the daughter of the most dangerous mercenary ever to live. Of course, the sheer stress that comes from having the urge to kill instilled in oneself at such a young age compounded with the mental strength it takes to quell the urge can be somewhat overwhelming. Finding release can be a rather…interesting scenario.

This is precisely the scenario Rose Wilson, the Titan better known as the Ravager, found herself in on this particular day. She, however, already was engaged in a stress-reliving activity that did wonders for her. Still in bed, with one hand under her pillow and the other…down south of the border, she was in heaven. To bad life has a way of bringing one back down from the clouds…

BANG! BANG! BANG! The girl's eyes opened as she heard a pounding on her front door. Grimacing, she threw her head back onto the pillow.

"Of course," she muttered.

With a great deal of hesitation, the Titan dragged herself out of bed. Slowly making her way to the door, one hand stayed behind her back – this one holding a pistol. Not too many people knew of this location. Most that did were not exactly the friendly type, so she wasn't cutting anyone any slack. As for the others…well they should be able to handle the sight of a gun in their face.

Moving the small metal cover, Rose looked through the peephole of the door. Grimacing, she recognized the person on the other side. Perhaps she would put the gun away, after all. No use having someone shit themselves right at her door.

* * *

_I heard the bar sliding out from the other side of the door. This should prove to be an interesting reunion. _

_I look as the door opens up. Hmm. Looks like Rose wasn't expecting company today. I can see everything in her apartment. I can also see everything of her – from her head right down to her black-painted toenails. The only interruption is the underwear right around her crotch. Normally, any guy would be surprised to have such a sight thrown upon them. But I had more important things on my mind – like staying the fuck alive._

"What the fuck do you want, Beast Boy?" Rose asked, irritated that her little session had come to an end because of his arrival.

"Nice to see you, too," Logan said, scanning his eyes down her body. "Just about all of you, by the look of things."

"Oh, what a hopeless romantic," the girl said, sarcastically. "You still haven't answered my question."

The shape shifter shook his head. "I'll talk just as soon as you put that gun down," he said, matter-of-factly.

Rose leaned forward, her perky breasts steady as a rock as she smiled at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, smirking.

_Okay, fuck this. No more Mr. Nice Guy._

* * *

Rose prided herself on her lightning-quick reflexes. So it came as quite a shock when Logan slammed his fist into her face. The impact was strong enough to knock her back on her cute little ass – a position she rarely found herself in. Blood leaked from her nose as she recomposed herself.

"Already had one person do that shit to me today," the Titan said as he slammed the door behind him. "Not in the mood for anyone else to do it."

Rose could feel the fury building in her body. No one was going to put her on her ass, especially not some third-rate Titan who only had props because of the team he was on.

"You're so dead," she said, raising the pistol and pointing it at Logan's head. She expected his eyes to widen, his hands to go up, and his pants to fill with shit. None of the above were about to occur.

The girl let out a painful cry as the man gripped her wrist and torqued it back. With the free hand he hit the bottom of the gun and popped it into the air. With a spectacular mid-air catch, he spun it on his finger for a few rotations.

"Hmm, Springfield XDM-9," he said, balancing it on his palm. "Think I'll hold on to this just in case," he added as he stuck it into the waistband of his pants.

"Motherfucker…" Rose growled. Then she hollered in pain again as Logan bend her wrist back the other way.

"Maybe you shoulda listened to me in the first place," the man said, quickly. "Then we wouldn't have had to do this song and dance."

Just like that, it was over. He let go of her wrist and allowed her to regain composure in peace.

'Fuck, man," the girl muttered. "When the hell did you learn to do that?"

Logan looked out the window of the apartment. Coast was clear. "Known how to do that for a long time," he said, firmly.

"Bullshit," Rose said, finally getting back to her feet. She couldn't believe that Beast Boy of all people just took her down with precision. "Last time I talked with Raven, she told me you couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time."

The man looked back at her, a smirk on his face. "Takes a lot of skill to make people believe you're a klutz when you really aren't," he said. "Doom Patrol taught me that."

"Oh, really?" the girl said, grinning. "The Doom Patrol is just another branch of costumed heroes – ones with a really lame catchphrase. 'Doom Patrol on patrol!'"

Rose laughed at her own joke. Suddenly, Logan whipped around, looking her square in the eye. His face hard as stone, he recited a verse he knew by heart:

"Doom Patrol on patrol!

Death will come to tortured souls!

Spill their blood, crack their skulls!

Fuck'em all until they're cold!"

Rose was taken aback by the words that had come from the Titan's mouth. They were so…militaristic, so cold and unfeeling of life. The look on her face prompted a response from the man.

"That's the creed," he said, quietly. "Of course, those last three lines aren't known to anyone who's not Doom Patrol."

"You've got to be kidding," the girl said, astonished.

Logan shook his head, his eyes hardened. "No," he said. "Many of you guys think that the Doom Patrol is no different than the Titans or the Justice League. That's the first mistake – and usually the last you ever make."

"Then what exactly is the Doom Patrol?" Rose asked, her curiosity piquing.

Logan sighed. This was not going to be fun.

"The Doom Patrol is a militaristic team charged with keeping peace by any means necessary," he said, calmly. "We take orders and follow them to the letter."

"From who?" the girl asked.

The Titan smiled. "From the highest bidder," he said. "This month, it's the United States military. Next month, it could be the Taliban. We go where the money is."

"Like mercs," Rose said, flashes of her own father appearing in her mind.

"Pretty much," Garfield said. "From day one, Mento trained me to be a Doom Agent – a person capable of performing pinpoint eliminations with ease."

"Pinpoint eliminations?" Rose echoed. "You mean…"

"Yup, assassinations," Logan said. His voice was calm, as if he were talking about the weather rather than people's lives. "That's what the Doom Patrol is: Paving the world for a better tomorrow…at least, for the buyers that is."

The girl stood in shock for a moment, absorbing in everything that the man had just said. Then, a smile crept across her face.

"You're playing with me," she said, letting out a laugh. "I can understand you having skills you don't show off, but the Doom Patrol as assassins? Get real!"

Logan grimaced. "Rose, don't make me tie you down to the bed and tickle that sexy little body of yours until you believe -!"

_I stumble in my step. My hands go out quickly, gripping the edge of the dining room table. Shit's wearing off. My face is going pale. This is bad…real bad._

* * *

Rose sauntered up to Logan as he leaned over the table. "You know, I gotta admit I'm pretty impressed with the set of balls you got on yourself now, Beast Boy," she said teasingly as she placed her hand on his chest. It was then that she felt the irregular rhythm of his heart. "Oh shit…your heart," she added, staring down at her hand. "So it is true. They did give you the H.I.V.E. Cocktail."

The Titan looked up, a look of anger in his eyes. "Man, does everybody know about this shit except me?" he asked.

"Looks like it," Rose said, quietly.

"Fuck, my adrenaline's dropping," the shape shifter said.

"Here, let me help you with that," the girl said, smirking.

_Suddenly, she grips my hands by the wrists. I watch as she places them on her bare chest. I can feel her heart beating beneath her breast. I can also feel something else rising down south. My heart's regaining a steady rhythm. My fingers tighten up as my body feels the rush. Rose's eyes close; her jaw drops. Can't be sure, but I think she just might me enjoying this as much as I am. Pain's stopping, body's back under control…_

_Then it stops. Rose releases my wrists. My hands linger for only a moment before I pull away. She just might have saved my life for the moment. For a trained killer, she's not so bad. Then again, look who's talking…_

"There," Rose said, rubbing her own breasts, almost as if to lengthen the feeling. "That oughta hold you for a little while."

Logan looked down at his hands. "I don't know what to say," he said, quietly.

"Don't say anything," Rose said with a smirk. Then, her face hardened. "To _anyone_, _capisce_?" she added.

"Gotcha," the Titan said, nodding.

As Rose retreated to her room to get dressed, Logan pulled out the cell phone.

_Don't know why I bother. Didn't help the last two times. Still, Donna's got dirt on just about everyone in the city who's on the take or causing shit, and she's good at tracking them down. I need her now more than ever. Dialing the number again, I just hope third time's a charm. I hear the phone ring a few times. Then, it happens…_

"Hello?" a groggy female voice came over the phone.

"Oh, so you're there," Logan said, calmly.

"Yeah, just felt like sleeping in today," Donna Troy said, completely oblivious to what had occurred earlier.

"Well, isn't that just quaint," the man said, his calm rather bewildering in retrospect to the events that had occurred in the last forty-five minutes. "Listen, I've been poisoned, and the Titans have been kidnapped. Most likely they'll be slowly and brutally tortured to death, but don't worry – I get them out of it in a jiffy. And hey – since you're up, how about you go ahead and fry me up a waffle or something while you're at it?"

Logan could hear the creaking of the bed over the phone as his cousin sat up. "Logan, what the hell are you talking about?" the girl asked, confused.

"Brother Blood stormed Titan Tower and kidnapped the Titans," the green man explained quickly. "Adonis poisoned me with the H.I.V.E. Cocktail, and I'm running out of time. I need you to track down Adonis for me."

"What about Blood?" Donna asked. "Doesn't he have the antidote?"

"I've got someone else in mind for that job," Logan said. "Listen, just find Adonis for me, okay?"

"Are you planning on using him as a bargaining chip for the antidote?" his cousin asked.

"No, I'm planning on killing him," the Titan said, matter-of-factly. "Call me back on the Cy-Car's frequency when you find him."

"Okay, I'm on it," she said, before adding, "And Garfield? Please stay alive."

"That's the plan," Logan said. Then he hung up.

"So," Rose said as she came back out of her room, now dressed in a pair of shorts and a baby tee that said "KILL YOU" on the front, "if you called your cousin to find Adonis and have someone else in mind to find Blood, then what do you need me for?"

Logan grabbed a small plastic bag from the counter. As he dropped the cell phone into it, he looked back at Rose. "You know as well as anyone that the best laid plans can go completely tits-up in one's face," he mused. "I've patched your phone number into this cell. If things go wrong, I'm gonna give you a call."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest. "If I get that call, what do you want me to do?" she asked.

Logan grinned. "I want you to do that voodoo that you do so well," he said, playfully. "There'll be more instructions with that call, but that's basically it. Until then, just keep off the streets. No telling how bad this shit's gonna get."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rose said, returning the grin. Maybe this day wasn't going to be so boring after all…

* * *

_As I left Rose's apartment, the cab driver was looking at me like I was some sort of criminal. Guess I couldn't blame him. All those cop cars at the mall had been for me, remember? Still, as I swallowed down the last packet of NO-DOZE, my mind was clear. Adonis was a dead man, but Blood was a little harder to reach. Looks like I'd need a little help from a man I could trust. Didn't matter if I hated his fuckin' guts now, but at least I could trust him…I think…_


	7. Singin' The Doom Song

The sun was shining down with an intensity that was rather uncomfortable for the average summer day. The rooftop pool of the Hilton Hotel in Jump City was a small reprieve from the heat…at least to those who had access to it. Since the annual get-together of the Justice League was being held down at the convention center, there weren't too many people high enough on the list to have access. Then again, too many people weren't the leader of the most feared superhero team in the world.

With security surrounding the perimeter, Mento slowly let his robe fall to the ground. Despite being middle-aged, the Doom Patrol leader still had a lot of muscle left on his frame. In his trunks, he dove into the cool water, taking an escape from the brutal summer heat.

Under the surface of the water, there was a sense of peace and tranquility that couldn't be matched by anything else. If he had a respirator, he'd stay down here for hours…

It was then that the shadow fell over him. Looking up, Mento saw a figure standing above him, looking down from the edge of the pool. The water prevented him from identifying the figure. That factor was about to be erased as the water's surface broke. Bubbles swirled in the water as the figure jumped in. Within moments they were gone, and the Doom Patrol leader found himself staring into the face of his protégé.

* * *

Logan's eyes were hard as he glared at his former mentor. Quickly, he pointed at Mento, then back at himself, and finally up towards the surface. The meaning of these gestures was all too clear.

"Well, look who came back," Mento said as his head broke through the surface.

"Nice to see you too, Mento," Logan said, firmly. His face showed that there was no love lost between these two.

"How'd you manage to get past the guards?" the man said, raising an eyebrow. "A little of that metamorphosis ability you're so fond of?"

"I wish," Logan said, grimacing as he treaded water. "Somehow my morphing ability's gone on the fritz. Probably the least of my worries right now."

"I would say so," Mento said, smirking. "Word travels fast around this city. Titans are missing, and you're playing Russian roulette with your pumper."

The Titan gritted his teeth as he shook his head. "FUCK!" he shouted, slapping the water with his hand. "Where the hell do you guys get this information?!"

Mento's face hardened. "Watch your tongue, Garfield," he said, sternly. "Remember who you're talking to."

Logan looked back at his mentor. "Sorry, Mento," he said calmly. "I shouldn't have said that…but, in case you haven't been paying attention, I have been having a difficult FUCKING DAY!"

"So you have," the man mused. "I guess I can let this transgression slide. So, what led you to come back to me?"

"I need you to find Brother Blood," the shape shifter said, quickly. "No telling what he'll do to the Titans if we don't get them back in time."

"And what makes you think I can find Blood?" Mento asked.

"'Cause you found Jimmy Hoffa," Logan said, firmly. "Twice. I sure you'll find where the FBI moved him this time…hopefully before he dies. So I know finding Blood will be a walk in the park for you."

"What about you?" the man asked. "What will you be doing?"

"Putting Adonis in a well-deserved grave," Logan said, smirking. "Fucking prick stuck me with that needle, I figure it's long overdue."

The two sat in silence for a moment, only the sound of water treading between them.

"So, can you do that for me?" the Titan asked. "For old time's sake?"

Mento smirked. "I'll think about it," he said.

"Make sure it's not too long," Logan said, swimming over to the edge of the pool. As he pulled himself up, he glanced back at his mentor. "As for me, I'm gonna kill Adonis if it's the last thing I do…" He paused for a second, considering what he had just said. "In fact, it just might be the last thing I do."

The young man's sneakers squished with each step he took as he headed towards the gate.

"Garfield!" Mento's voice called out to him. Slowly, he turned back around.

"If this thing with the Titans goes wrong, you'll always have place in the Doom Patrol," the man said, smiling.

Logan said nothing. He just continued to walk.

_Well, that was very fucking pleasant. Mento didn't really seem to give two shits that the Titans were in trouble or that I was dying. Then again, he never really showed too much emotion about anything…except when he was fucking Elastic-Girl. At least he had said he would look into it in his own special way. I headed back down to the lobby. Needed to get my hands on some more stimulants if I wanted to make it another twenty minutes or so. Uh-oh, looks like the cabbie's not too happy…_

"NO! NO!" the cab driver yelled as Logan emerged from the hotel. "You're not getting in my cab wet!"

"What!" the Titan said, irritated. "I just gave you three hundred dollars to wait here for me! Isn't that enough?!"

"You still not getting in my cab like that!" the driver said, angrily.

_Don't have time for this shit. Yelling won't help. Got a better idea…_

"Okay, okay, I'm not getting in your cab," Logan said, coming around to the driver's side.

Before the driver could breathe a sigh of relief, the Titan grabbed him by the collar and tossed him onto the sidewalk in front of a café. As the cabbie got to his knees, the green man pointed down at him.

"Al-Qaeda! Al-Qaeda!" he shouted. Within seconds, about half a dozen people leapt on top of the driver, pinning him to the ground. As he shouted out how much he loved the country, Logan hopped in the driver's seat and took off.

_Not too bad of a diversion. Pretty sure they won't kill him. I think. Anyway, I start off towards the highway. I get halfway there before the phone rings._

"Hello?" Logan said.

"Garfield, it's Donna," the voice came from the other end.

"What's up?" the man asked.

"I think I got a lead for you on Adonis," the girl said. "I was down here at the Starbuck's just getting a frappacino when I saw Adonis heading into an old dance studio right on the corner."

Logan chuckled. "Always knew he was a faggot," he said. "Where are you?"

"On the corner of Corwin and Michael," Donna said. "Where are you?"

"I'm there," the shape shifter said. "Corwin and Michael. See you in ten minutes."

_Donna came through for me. Adonis probably won't be alone. Doesn't matter. I'll get him to spill his guts in more ways than one. Time to show him what Doom Patrol really means._


	8. Boom Shaka La

_I park the cab about a block away. Walk will do my heart good in more ways than one. Heading up the street, I can see the coffee shop in the distance. That's when the phone rings._

"Hello?" Logan said.

"BB, it's Aqualad," the voice said.

"Sup? You got a lead on the Titans?" the man asked.

"Not yet," Lad replied.

"They why are calling me?" Logan said, harshly.

"I think I got something that will keep you going just a bit longer," the man said. "Get yourself to a hospital. You need to get your hands on some epinephrine."

"Epi-what?" the Titan asked.

"Epi-ne-phrine," Lad repeated, sounding out the word. "It's artificial adrenaline. The hospital keeps it in stock in 10 milliliter syringes. About a fifth of a dose will do ya. You got that, BB?"

"Sure, epinephrine in 10 milliliter syringes," Logan echoed.

"A fifth of a dose, okay?" the voice said from the other end. "You don't want to fuck this up. Call me back when you've got it, okay?"

"Yup," Logan quipped. "Late."

_As I hang up the phone, I can see my cousin sitting at one of the tables outside. Fuck – she's dressed in her Wonder Girl outfit. Real inconspicuous, cuz. Like a deer in an orange hunting vest. Her back's to me. Doesn't even see me coming. Hmm, what an opportunity…_

Wonder Girl let out a scream as Logan poked her in the sides. This caught the attention of many of the other patrons, some of which simply shook their heads and went back to their lattes.

"Garfield, you scared the shit out of me!" she said in a hushed whisper as the Titan stood over her.

"Well that oughta teach you not to wear your outfit when you're trying to tail a person," Logan said, smirking.

"But I wasn't tailing him," Donna said, smirking back.

"Whatever," the green man said, quickly. "Is he still in there?"

"I haven't seen him leave," the girl responded back.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Logan said, looking over at the building. "Stay here."

_With that, I set off towards the old dance studio. Funny – no reason for him to go here unless this was where he was keeping the Titans. Then again, I seriously doubted that Blood would let Adonis be the Titans' keeper. He was just far too uptight and idiotic to do anything useful with them. They'd have probably kicked his ass the moment Blood left. Final analysis: This was a set-up. I had caused enough of a stir recently to let the H.I.V.E. boys know I was still alive and kicking. They'd probably be waiting for me, ready to do me in because the poison isn't working fast enough. Ahhh, what the hell. I need the exercise anyway…_

_As soon as I step in the building, my eyes begin to burn. Something's in the air. Smells like a barbeque…_

_Shit. Propane. The building's set to go off at the slightest spark. The only advantage here was that they wouldn't be able to shoot me – unless they planned on dying in the process._

_I'm about to the middle of the dance floor when he makes his grand entrance._

"Hey, BB!" Adonis called out from the back of the room. "Feel like engaging in a little 'Forbidden Dance'?"

"I'll leave that to Travolta," Logan said, firmly. "Where's the Titans?"

The handsome villain smiled, bearing his pearly whites. "I'm sorry, but your princess is in another castle," he said, laughing.

"Don't fuck with me, Adonis!" the Titan growled, narrowing his eyes. "I might not be my day, but I'm pretty sure I can make yours a whole lot worse."

"Ooo, I'd love to see that!" Adonis said, grinning. "Since you've caught me in a good mood, I'll let you in on this hint: Blood's got them, and he's got them somewhere you ain't ever gonna find out."

"Oh, I think I will," Logan said, an evil grin on his face. Slowly he pointed at the villain. "…And you're gonna tell me," he added.

Adonis shook his head. "Sorry, Logan," he said, "but that's just not in the cards."

_I can hear the footsteps coming from around the back. H.I.V.E. soldiers en masse. Probably fifteen or twenty of them. They filter into the building from every entrance, surrounding me, swallowing me up. Looks like I was right: this was a set-up – and they're all unarmed. That's not to say they weren't wielding weapons – pipes, clubs, bats, and a couple of those good old police batons for good measure. They'd come for a knockdown drag-out slobber knocker. Looks like I'd have to humor them._

Adonis grinned as the soldiers took their positions. This was just too good to pass up.

"Hey, no hard feelings, Logan," he said, "but that poison I injected you with just isn't working fast enough for our client's liking. I think, however, that this might just do the trick."

Grinning at the Titan, he slapped a hand on the back of one of the soldiers. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I got a nice young Gothic pussy to break in," he said. "Kinda wish you hit that shit when you had the chance, don't ya?" Laughing, he shrugged his shoulders. "Hell, we all make mistakes. Good thing is – you won't be making any more of them."

Turning towards the soldier, an evil smile crept across Adonis's face. "Bring me his balls," he ordered before stepping back towards the alleyway entrance. He would watch the initial beatdown just for kicks. Not too often you get to watch a Titan die. Then again, he'd have the privilege of watching four more die later on. Yup, life was looking good.

_The boys are moving in. Smell from the propane is pissing me off. It's also making me hungry. I can feel my blood pressure spiking as my body goes into a hypoglycemic fit from all those energy drinks. Downside: I feel like a jitterbug on crack. Upside: Heart's racing a mile a minute. Blood be damned, but I think I'm starting to like this shit…_

It came without warning. One of the soldier charged Logan like a man possessed, swinging a lead pipe over his head. It was the kind of pipe that could stove in a guy's head with one shot…provided you could make that shot. Today was not his day.

Adonis's jaw dropped in shock as Logan caught the pipe in mid-swing, pulled the soldier forward, wrapped his arm around his neck and gave a little twist. The CRACK was most satisfying, indeed.

"Oh shit!" the villain said as the armored guard fell lifeless to the floor. "Kill him, you douche bags!"

The soldiers all charged forward like a starting pistol had gone off in the distance. Game on.

* * *

_When I was a kid, I was brutally attacked by a monkey. My parents used the scientific knowledge they had to save my life. It was that scientific knowledge that brought forth my transforming ability. Not too long after, they were killed. By what, I don't rightly know. All I can remember was being a young kid with no family, with no one who really cared about me. Then, I got wind of the Doom Patrol. I had a child-like respect for them. I wanted to be one of them – to be someone, not some freak. So, I sought them out. I even broke into their headquarters to prove my worth. Sure, they were pretty cheesed off that some kid bypassed their security, but they were also impressed with my abilities. That when Mento inaugurated me as an agent of Doom. That was the first mistake._

_Ever heard the term "child soldier?" That's what I was. I was ten, and capable of killing people far beyond my age and expertise. But you know what? I still didn't have a family. Regardless of what Robot Man, Negative Man, or Elastic-Girl thought of me, Mento always treated me like a dog. It was then that I realized that my metamorphosis could be my ticket out. I left the Doom Patrol behind, and scoured the globe for people who could accept me, who could be my family. You know what? I found them. Now Blood's got them, and that faggot-ass punk is standing in the way of my family. Him and about twenty morons in armor. Adonis was feeling so superior, talking about mistakes. He didn't realize he had just made the biggest mistake of his life: He underestimated Garfield Logan._

_I duck another pipe as it whistles through the air. One solid kick, and his knee's in more pieces than Stonehenge. Crying for his mommy. Good. Let them be afraid. Instinct was kicking in, all I learned in the Doom Patrol bubbling back to the surface like a clogged toilet. Either way, this was going to be messy._

_Roundhouse to the left. Staggered another soldier. My feet leave the ground, the point of my elbow slamming into the bridge of another man's nose. Some guy's taking a swing at my legs. I leapt forward. Duck and roll. He's on the ground before he even knows what happened. More coming. They don't look too happy. Adonis probably told them this would be easy. Can't blame him. Pretty sure he'd thought it'd be easy, too. _

_I pick up a pipe from the floor. Time to even the playing field. These guys don't know who they're fuckin' with. As soon as they're in arm's length, I'm Barry Bonds. Helmets go flying across the room as I knock them straight off of their heads. It's a matter of physics. Mass times acceleration equals a world of pain. Something like that. Never was really good with all that science shit._

_It's been three minutes. Everyone's down, if not out. Adonis's slipped out into the alleyway. Probably waiting for one of his boys to return with a bloody paper bag. As I head towards the door, I notice a few of the boys getting back up. Time to say good-bye. I hurl the pipe at them. They duck under it easily, chuckling that I had such horrible aim. Truth is, I think to myself as I hurl myself out the window, I was aiming for that metal bar along the wall. The one where ballerinas do their warm-ups. Metal on metal at that speed, survey says: you get a spark._

* * *

The windows of the coffee shop rattled with immense force as the dance studio exploded, sending pieces of brick and H.I.V.E. soldiers all over the streets. Wonder Girl hit the ground just like all the others.

"Oh shit, Logan…" she cried.

That's exactly what Adonis had said as he saw the Titan standing at the end of the alleyway, the flames from the explosion erupting at his back. His, however, had been a little more dramatic.

Fear took the villain to a new level as he took off down the alley, Logan in hot pursuit. 'Why won't this fucker die?!' he screamed within his own mind as he emerged back onto the streets. Glancing around, he noticed a small restaurant on the opposite side of the street. If he could get to it, he might just be able to get the drop on the apparently-indestructible hero.

With his feet hitting the pavement, the villain was soon inside. Taking refuge behind a booth, he watched the door, waiting for Logan to arrive.

_As I found myself back on the streets, I had just enough time to see that fuck duck into a restaurant. Once again, he'd be waiting for me. This time, however, he was in public and would probably be a bit more discreet. Still, he's my best shot on finding the Titans until I hear from Mento. I sighed. No place else to go but in._

Adonis held his breath as the shape shifter entered the restaurant. He sat and watched as he looked around the interior, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light. Feeling a little bolder, Adonis poked his head out from behind the booth wall. Suddenly, he dropped back down. He couldn't be sure, but he had sworn Logan had seen him. Peering out around the edge again, he breathed a sigh of relief as the Titan continued towards the back into the kitchen area.

With him out of sight, the handsome villain got back to his feet, pulling a chrome Desert Eagle from his waistband. It was time to finish this.

_Adonis thinks he's so smart. I knew where he was the moment I walked in. I could smell him, and it wasn't too pleasant. I purposely walked to the back, knowing he'd follow me. Standing back the fridge, I see him with his big gun, looking around for me. He's got no idea what he's walking into. Enlightening him will be fun. He's just kicked out the back door into the alley. Hmm, about time I cut in…_

Adonis straightened up in shock as Logan came spinning out of the doorway. He also let out a scream as the Titan brought a meat cleaver down on his gun hand, severing it from his body. The pain was unbelievable. Quickly he was on his knees, holding the stump of his right arm as it spurted blood.

"How'd you like that one, Adonis?" Logan said, sarcastically. "How totally freakin' awesome was that?"

Kicking the hand away, the green man glared down at the villain. "Need a hand, asshole?" he quipped.

Adonis screamed in a fury as he jumped back to his feet, using his larger stature to lift Logan high into the air and down onto the pile of trash bags strewn in the alleyway. A flurry of fist followed, each blow giving Logan just a bit more of a boost. Finally, the villain rose his stump hand into the air and drove it down at the Titan's face. Rolling to the side, he watched as Adonis slammed it down on the concrete. As he howled in pain, Logan kicked him off – only to see Wonder Girl hurl a trashcan lid at the pretty boy's face.

"Donna, what the fuck?" Logan said, confused. "What part of 'stay here' did you not fuckin' get?"

Adonis now found himself with two targets. Being the wimp he really was, he decided to go after the girl.

Donna let out a grunt as the villain struck her with a metal trashcan. Stumbling back onto the ground, she could only put up a token defense against the object. Seeing this, Logan quickly pulled the Springfield form his waistband.

CLICK. The gun wouldn't fire.

"Shit!" Logan cursed under his breath. That dip he had taken in the pool had left the gun useless for the moment. Then again, there was another one within reach…

Adonis continued to pummel Wonder Girl with the trashcan. If he couldn't get Logan to beg, maybe his cousin would do it for him.

That's when he heard the CLICK. It would be the last thing the pretty boy villain ever heard.

BLAM! Donna recoiled in horror as blood and brain matter splattered over her body. Adonis quickly pitched forward, a hole the size of the Grand Canyon in his head. Directly behind him stood Logan, the smoke still emanating from the Desert Eagle's barrel.

"So much for spilling his guts," Logan grumbled to himself as he searched the body's pockets. One cell phone, nothing much else worth mentioning. "Now, what was it Aqualad said? Epi-Nefertiti? 10 milliliters?" The rush of the last few minutes had left him with a blank. Frustrated, he looked at his now-bloodstained cousin.

"Nice work, cuz," he said, angrily.

As Logan walked towards the street, Donna had time to recompose herself. Getting back to her feet, she paused for a moment beside Adonis's body. Grimacing, she gave the corpse a good swift kick.

"Asshole," she muttered.

* * *

"So, Garfield," Wonder Girl said as the two re-emerged onto the streets, "what do we do now?"

Logan glanced back at his cousin. "You're going home and getting cleaned up," he said matter-of-factly. "From this point on, I'm working alone. Stay inside, and don't talk to no one. I can't have Blood tracing you down."

The girl bit her lip. She knew this might be the last time she sees her cousin alive. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"First, I'm gonna get to a hospital," the Titan said, firmly. "Then, I'm going to find Blood."

Turning to face Wonder Girl, Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take care of yourself, cuz," he said, a slight smile on his face.

"You, too," she replied.

_As we went out separate ways, I contemplated what secrets Adonis might have been keeping from me. Pulling his cell from my pocket, I surmise there's one way of finding out._

"Adonis," Blood's voice came through the device. "Have you taken care of our little problem?"

"I'm sorry, but the asshole you're trying to reach is no longer in service," Logan said, mimicking an automated message. "Please hang up and go fuck yourself."

On the opposite end, Brother Blood got to his feet. He could feel his blood pressure rising as he recognized the voice on the other end.

"Logan?" he hissed. "This better not be fuckin' Logan!"

"Indeed it is," the Titan said. "Sorry to ruin your day, but then again I guess I owe it to ya, now don't I?"

"Where's Adonis?" the cult leader said, firmly.

"Behind the Roaster's on Jane and Wigwam," Logan said. "You'll wanna bring a shovel."

Blood sighed as he sat back down. "You know, I've got to hand it to you," he mused, "you're one tough son of a bitch to kill."

"Doom Patrol taught me that," the man said. "Then again, I guess you probably already knew that."

"Indeed I did," Blood said, grimacing. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I'll let you know," Logan said.

CLICK.

_That oughta hold Blood for a little while. He knows I'm still alive. He doesn't know who's coming for him. Figure if I rile him up, it'll just make it that much easier for Mento to catch him. As I hop back in the cab, my destination is clear: Time to get a check-up._


	9. Pagin' Dr Kevorkian

_Once again, I park the cab about a block from my destination. Don't need any trouble finding a parking space at the hospital. Still haven't heard anything from Mento. Either he's still looking or he's just taking his sweet ass time. Could be both the way he works. Gun's tucked down deep in my waistband, the top of my uniform covering it. I step inside the hospital. The first thing I do is find the pharmacy. Took the elevator to get here. It's the best chance I got outside of ransacking the O.R._

The young pharmacist pulled her glasses down to the end of her nose as Logan cut in line in front of an older gentleman.

"Asshole," the old man quipped.

"Now, now, let's be civil," the Titan said, calmly.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Logan said with a smile on his face. "I'm looking for something that starts with an E."

"English?" the pharmacist asked.

The green man grimaced. "Very funny," he shot back. "It's some kind of artificial adrenaline."

The woman behind the counter nodded. "Epinephrine," she stated.

Logan grinned, and banged the counter with his fist. "Epinephrine!" he echoed happily. "Yes, that's it! Epinephrine!"

The pharmacist simply stared at the Titan. "I can't give you epinephrine," she said matter-of-factly.

The smile disappeared from Logan's face. "What?" he asked.

"Excuse me," the woman said, walking towards the back and leaving the Titan in quite a pickle.

As Logan tried to collect his thoughts, a voice called out to him.

"Hey man," it said. The voice belonged to one of the pharmacy's clerks, who was busy reading a magazine. "Nasal spray."

"What?" the shape shifter asked.

"Nasal spray, man," the clerk repeated. "It's got epinephrine in it. It'll get you tweaked, man."

_I grab a couple of bottles off the counter display, and throw a nod of appreciation to the stoner at the register. Who says drug addicts can't be helpful members of society?_

_As I turn to leave the pharmacy, I notice the pharmacist on the phone. Bitch is probably calling the cops. Great. Just one more fucking obstacle I gotta overcome. _

_I head out into the emergency ward. Snorted down one bottle of the spray, working on the next one. Not a hell of a kick, but just enough to bring things back into focus. Good thing too, 'cause now I got two uniforms coming my way. Here we go again…_

"Hey! STOP!" one of the officers said as Logan broke into a run. With his legs pumping as fast as they could go, the Titan leapt over a gurney and took off down the Intensive Care wing of the building. As the cops turned the corner, there was nothing to be seen.

"Shit, lost him," the one said, shaking his head. "Check the rooms."

A room by room search followed. As they entered the room of an old man sleeping away in a medically-induced coma, they once again found nothing. As soon as the door closed, however, Logan emerged from the personal locker, having ditched his outfit for a hospital gown. With the cells tucked into his shoes and the Eagle under his arm, he did his best to nonchalantly walk out of the ICU. He got no further than the sliding door before the cops noticed the strange man.

"Sir? Sir, hold up for a second!" one of them said.

_So much for that brilliant plan. Race is on again…_

"Get him!" The order rang out across the halls as the chase resumed. Once again, the Titan's footwork kept him ahead of the pack. As he rounded another corner, he saw a team of doctors rushing a patient to the emergency room.

"Now I _know_ you boys have epinephrine!" he said. With no hesitation, he ran up behind one of the doctors and put a hand on his shoulder.

Now Dr. Nathan White was a good surgeon, and he had seen the damage that powerful handguns could cause. Never once, however, had he ever seen one of those guns stuck in his face. There's a first time for everything.

"Tell me you got some epinephrine on this cart!" Logan said, training the gun on the doctor as he kept pace with the emergency team.  
"OH SHIT!" the doctor cried, his heart skipping a beat. Logan's however, continued to pound from the rush.

"If I were you, I'd start looking _pronto_!" the Titan said, grimacing.

* * *

_Just to make things clear, I wasn't really planning on shooting this guy, okay? Sure, he was probably a hoity-toity ass who considered himself better than others simply because he actually managed to stay awake during his medical classes back in college, but he's not really a bad guy. I just didn't have the time for mincing words, and I know this big ol' piece of steel is a much better negotiator than I am. I now return you to your regularly scheduled extortion already in progress…_

* * *

"Shit man, I don't know where it is!" Dr. White said panicky as he tried to search the drawers of the cart while keeping pace behind the team.

"Then hire a clairvoyant, pal!" Logan said, sarcastically. That's when he noticed the two officers coming up behind him, guns trained on him. Quickly, he turned the gun in their direction. "FUCK OFF!" he shouted, pulling the trigger.

* * *

_Once again, I feel I should inform you that I'm not looking to kill anyone who doesn't deserve it. The good thing about being a trained marksman is the ability to get bullets close enough to discourage anyone from following you without actually hurting anyone. Another skill I unwillingly learned that has proven itself useful today. Now, where were we? Oh yeah…_

* * *

"FUCK OFF!" The bullets slammed into the wall right near the officers' heads. The sound of the Eagle going off upset the emergency team's rhythm. As they looked back to see what the commotion was about, the gurney went sideways. This brought all parties involved to a rather crushing halt.

As the rest of the crew got the sickly old man back on the gurney, Dr. White quickly pulled open the last drawer of the cart. "Here! Here!" he shouted, tossing a few of the filled syringes at Logan. "Here's the epinephrine, man!"

_As I scoop up one of the syringes, I noticed the cops are coming down the hallway with a vengeance. I need a way out, and I need it fast…_

_DING._

As the elevator doors opened a few feet from the Titan, he quickly grabbed one of the paddles for the difibulator. Looking back at the doctor, he sighed.

"Juice me," he said.

"What?" Dr. White asked.

"Just juice me!" the shape shifter said, motioning towards the machine.

"Okay, okay!" the man started up the machine. As it began to whine, he beckoned towards Logan. "Give me the other paddle. I gotta do this."

Hesitantly, the Titan gave the paddle back to the doctor. The machine was now up to 300 joules. Just right…

"CLEAR!" Dr. White shouted.

_The shock sent me flying through the air like a bird. Hell of a thing. My heart's not quite sure whether it's coming or going, but it certainly liked that last bit. As the cops charge forward, I hit the button for ground floor. _

_The doors closing felt like a relief. Quickly, I pull the cellophane off of the hypodermic needle. Plunging it deep into my arm, I depress the plunger. The stuff is flowing through my veins now. My head's clear again. __**Too**__ clear. As the shit takes effect, I'm left with one nagging question…_

"How much did Aqualad tell me to take?"


	10. Pulse

_I charge out of the elevator like a rhino on the Savannah. I've never felt so wired in my life. This shit's got me running like a goddamn Ferrari on rocket fuel. To be honest, it actually feels kinda nice. I'm sprinting through the streets of Jump City in a hospital gown like a madman. Nothing to see here. Nothing, I guess, but the view of my green ass from the back of the gown. I hear the cell phone going off in one of my shoes. It's mine. I barely miss a step as I pick it up._

"BB?" Aqualad's voice came over the phone.

"Yep." Logan replied.

"Okay, I'm finally back at the Tower," Lad said. "Fucking taxi service in Steel City's gotta be working for Osama. Anyway, did you get the epinephrine?"

"Got it."

"Did you take it?"

"Took it."

"You took the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Aqualad let out a sigh. "BB, I said a _fifth_ of a syringe," he said, dejectedly. "That shit's gonna kill you."

"Right," Logan quipped.

"Your chest's on fire?" Lad asked.

"Check."

"But you're cold?"

"Check."

"And you've got a steel hard-on?"

"Let me check." Logan glanced down quickly. "Check."

"Well, that's the stimulation of your blood vessels," Lad said, sighing again. "Your urinary sphincter's tight as a knot right now. You couldn't piss to save your life."

"Urinary sphincter? Check!"

"Look man, you need to bring yourself back down now," Aqualad said as he reached the top of the tower. "Get yourself some Vicodin or something. You still at the hospital?"

"Nope," Logan said.

"Damn, well there goes that idea," the Titan said, shaking his head. "Look, that stuff will wear off of you in about half an hour – provided it doesn't kill you first."

"Right."

"Hey, BB?"

"Yea?"

"You're one of the best friends I've ever had," Lad said, smiling sadly. "It's been nice knowing you."

"Late."

_As I hung up the phone, something catches my eye. Slowing down, I notice the local news is running a special report. Don't need more than one guess to figure out who they're talking about. Hell, might as well listen in…_

"And in other news, Jump City has been the scene of a series of violent acts that have left at least twenty people dead and caused more than $3 million in damages. Police are on the lookout for the individual believed to be responsible for these actions. Eyewitnesses reports at this time claim that the culprit looks similar to Beast Boy, a member of the teenaged superhero group the Teen Titans. Speaking of the Titans, many are wondering where these heroes are in their city's time of need…"

_Where, indeed. Looks like I'm not the only guy looking for then after all. Too bad every cop in the city's currently looking for me. Well, you gotta roll with the punches…_

_Suddenly, I'm aware of the guy standing next to me. He's just seen the police sketch artist's rendition of the madman terrorizing the city. Now he's staring at me. Well, now he's starting down at my cock, which is now projecting inside the hospital gown kinda like a teepee. Wow, this shit really works. Don't think I've ever seen it that big. Gotta keep this in mind when I'm ready to starting scouting the bars...if I live that long._

_I hear the sound of a motorcycle behind me. I take a look. Bike cop's sitting at the red light. Hmm, left my mode of transportation back at the hospital. Looks like it was time for the citizen to requisition a vehicle from a police officer._

_I seek up quietly behind him. People sitting in the cars behind the cop don't even seem to care. They're just waiting to see what I'm gonna do next. Shit, with people like this in the city, no wonder the Titans were busy all the time. I reach for the gun. If I can disarm him, this will be a little easier. Bingo…_

The officer snapped his head to the right as Logan pulled the gun from the holster.

"Hey, buddy, drop that right now!" he said, getting off the motorcycle and leaving it on its' kickstand.

"Oh, you want this?" the Titan said, dangling the gun in front of his own face. "You really want this?"

"Give that back!" The officer reached for the gun, but the green man just pulled it away.

"Here pal, go FETCH!" Logan said, tossing the gun across the street. As the officer headed off to retrieve it, he hopped on the bike. Giving a little salute to the stunned cop, Logan sped off down the road.

_That went well. Still no word from Mento. Didn't want to have to do this, but I'm gonna have to head over to Donna's place and get her to locate Blood for me. I'm running out of leads quick…_

_Shit. Looks like I'm running out of other things as well. The epinephrine is starting to lose its' punch. Gotta do something to get that thrill back. _

_Quickly, I rev the bike up, and I hop on top of the seat. I close my eyes and let the feeling overwhelm me. The wind blows through my hair and my gown. Nothing really like it in the world. Hmm, maybe I should have taken Robin's motorcycle instead. Cy's not gonna like it when I tell him about the Cy-Car…_

_My eyes spring back open. Sidewalk café dead ahead. No time to take action. Probably should have kept my damn eyes open. The front wheel's just feet from the curb. Oh shit. This is not going to be pleasant…_


	11. Intermission

Robin grunted as the mechanized robots pushed him forward. Between the attack at the tower and having to watch Billy Numerous tickle-torture Starfire right under his nose, it was safe to say that the Boy Wonder was not in the best of spirits. Looking back at the other Titans, it was also safe to say that they weren't too happy about their predicament either.

The Titans continued to move forward towards the old abandoned warehouse. It was not of their own accord, however. Blood's Cyborg duplicates had them locked in their mental beams – the same ones that they had been locked in when they witnessed Blood try and destroy Cyborg. That had been one hell of a defeat for the crazed cult leader. Too bad he was in control of this situation. As for Cyborg, he was being rolled on a dolly at the back of the line. Blood had uploaded a virus into his mainframe that overrode the Titan's ability to control his own body, leaving him nothing more that a department store mannequin. To Blood's dismay, however, this was one mannequin with a mouth.

"Blood, what the hell are you doing?" the mechanical man yelled out as the Titans were herded into the building. "Where's BB?"

"Cyborg, just shut up!" the older man said, sighing heavily. He had wanted to kill all of them for quite some time, especially when he received the call from Logan on Adonis's phone. However, his client had wanted them to live. Soon, everything would become clear. Until then, he would have to bite his tongue.

Robin's eyes took in his surroundings as the team moved towards the freight elevator. Since they had been captured, the Titans had been locked in an armored car with about four of these robots – just enough to keep them under control. Nearly an hour sitting in an oven had not been too fun. Sweat stains were obvious on each of the heroes' uniforms. None of them smelled too good, either. The last fifteen minutes, however, had been a blur of motion. A call came through to Blood – one he apparently had been waiting for. The car had taken off at high speed, bringing them to this abandoned building not too far off the wharf. Something was going down here, and chances were it wasn't going to be pretty for the heroes.

The elevator had reached the upper floor. This one looked just like the one that had been on before…with one exception. A handful of the H.I.V.E. students were standing around, almost as if to welcome their guests of honor. Something else was wrong, too. Robin grimaced as he saw a figure tied down to an old office chair. This was not good. Not good at all…

* * *

Donna Troy, the Titan better known as Wonder Girl, slowly shook her head as her eyes came back into focus. The last thing she could remember was returning to her apartment to get cleaned up. She had nearly gagged as she stripped off her outfit, which had been covered in Adonis's blood and brain matter courtesy of her trigger-happy cousin. She always had hated what the Doom Patrol had done to him. Anyway, she had just stepped out of the shower when she heard a noise in the living room. Quickly, she pulled on a pair of panties and a camisole and grabbed her robe. She had stepped out into the hallway to see what had happened, and that was it. Now, she found herself tied down to a chair, her bare feet cringing as they touched the cold floor.

Looking up, she gasped in shock as she watched the Teen Titans be paraded right in front of her. As if on cue, the four heroes dropped down onto their knees. Despite the calm and collective motions, she could see their muscles bugling from strain. Whatever they were doing, they weren't in control. It was then that she saw him emerge from the shadows of the elevator.

"Brother Blood…" she whispered.

"Ah, so it is true," the cult leader said with a smile as he beheld the young girl in her predicament. "Looks like you are useful after all."

"Thank you, sir." The voice made Donna nauseated. It also made her feel foolish.

"Can't believe you got the drop on me," she said, directing her comments to the man standing right behind her.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up over this," Control Freak said, leaning his head over her shoulder. "We all have bad days. Just ask your cousin."

"Speaking of your cousin," Blood interjected, frowning, "I think it's time you…_update_ him on the situation."

With a fell swoop, the razor-sharp talons of Blood's right hand came in, stopping mere inches from the girl's throat. Donna let out a scream that reverberated around the room.

"Blood, stop this!" Robin said, trying desperately to break the hold the mind control had on him. "Leave her out of it!"

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Grayson, but I have everything right where I want it," The H.I.V.E. leader said. Then he frowned. "Well, not _everything_. That's what little Miss Wonder Girl is going to help me with."

With the talons posed to strike, Blood held up a cell phone inches from Donna's tear-streaked face. "Call him," he hissed.

With fear gripping her heart, the young girl closed her eyes. There was only one thing to do.

"Gar," she whimpered to herself. "Please forgive me…"


	12. Back From The Break

_Well, that was quite enjoyable. Slowly, I pull myself up from the concrete. Busted tables and chair are strewn all over the place. Not sure if I've broken anything, but the adrenaline rush has me on a high that's blocking whatever pain I might be experiencing. Shaking the cobwebs out of my head, I hear the cell go off again. Hmm, wonder who it could be this time?_

"Hello?" Logan said.

"Garfield?" Donna's voice came over the phone.

"What up, cuz?" he asked.

"Look, I think I might have a lead for you," the girl said. Her voice seemed rather emotionless. "I've tracked Blood to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the wharf. The Titans are with him."

"You certain?" Logan said, feeling his heart beat faster.

"I am," Donna said. "The warehouse is on Dreyer and 21st."

"I'll meet you there," the Titan said.

"I'll be waiting," the girl said.

"Hey, Donna?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

As the cell phone clasped near her ear, Donna Troy knew she had just sentenced her cousin to death.

_So, Blood's finally out of hiding. Stepping inside a clothing store, I finally ditch the gown and grab a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. Not too stylish, but a far sight better than usual. Epinephrine's still working in my veins. Dreyer and 21__st__'s nearly fifteen blocks away. Hell, I could use the run…_

* * *

Blood chuckled as he put the cell phone back into his pocket.

"Thank you, Miss Troy," he said, smiling. "You've been most helpful."

Glancing over at his students, he gave a nod. "Do it," he said.

The girl let out a scream as See-more pulled a clear plastic bag over her head. His body fought against the restraints with all the strength she could muster. Meanwhile, Robin's mind went wild with fury as he fought against his own bonds.

"BLOOD!" he screamed, his voice echoing in the deserted building, "DON'T! LET HER GO!"

"She cannot breath!" Starfire said, trying her best to focus her energy into her eyes for a quick blast. It seemed, however, that the mind control was simply too overwhelming to fight.

"Jeez, man! You've made your point!" Cyborg hollered as he watched Donna's life slip away. "Let her go!"

"Thank you for the concern," Blood echoed from before. This was all going according to plan. Nothing could foul this up now…

* * *

"BLOOD!!"

The H.I.V.E. leader spun around. That voice…it couldn't be…

"Oh shit…" he muttered.

Titans and villains alike watched as the Doom Patrol leader stepped into view. In full battle gear, he was definitely a sight for the heroes' sore eyes.

"Mento!" Robin said, a tinge of happiness in his voice. "Wonder Girl's in trouble! Help her!"

"Yes, Mento, please," Blood said, sarcastically as he waved a hand in the girl's direction. "Ventilate her."

The man stood his ground. Slowly, his eyes moved over to Donna's. He could see the fear in her eyes as her mind was being strangled to death. Letting out a sigh, he knew what had to be done.

"Donna," he began, quietly. "you've been one of the best heroes that I've ever had the honor to serve with. I know you helped Beast Boy in his time of need, and now it's my turn to help you. Just calm down, kid. Your mission is over…"

Donna Troy was in the middle of processing those words in her mind when the pain began. Her body shot up in agony as her chest nearly caved in upon itself. With the last breath she had, she said a solemn prayer for her cousin and for his friends. If anyone could save them now, it was Logan…

* * *

The Titans sat in a stunned silence as Wonder Girl succumbed to her death, four solid slugs in her chest. Starfire let out a scream as she realized what had occurred right before her eyes. Robin's head snapped to the left, trying to make sense of it all.

The gun was still smoking as it remained firmly gripped in Mento's hand. With a swift motion, he placed the gun back into its holster. Blood, meanwhile, was busy admiring his handiwork.

"Hmm, four shots, two to each lung," he mused with a laugh. "Well, that should definitely ventilate her sufficiently."

Mento stepped up beside the villain. "That's all and good," he muttered, "but there's still one question that hasn't been answered."

"What's that?" Blood asked.

With the speed of a cobra strike, Mento grabbed the cult leader by the collar and hefted him into the air. "Why the FUCK is Garfield Logan still alive?!" the Doom Patrol leader roared. "You're supposed to be the greatest manipulator on the planet, and you can't kill one fucking kid?! What the hell am I paying you for?!"

As Mento dropped Blood back onto his feet, the pieces of the puzzle assembled themselves in Robin's mind.

"I don't believe it…" he said, slowly. "It…it was _you_. You're the 'client' Blood was talking about in that video he left for Beast Boy!"

Mento turned his attention to the Boy Wonder, smiling as he did so. "Well, well, well – you really are the smartest fuckin' detective in Jump City, now aren't you?" he said sarcastically as he stood before the heroes. "Why don't you give yourself a round of applause?"

The man punctuated his remark by slowly clapping his own hands. "Oh – I'm sorry," he added as he stopped clapping, "I forgot you don't have any control over your body. Blood could probably make you stick your thumbs up your ass and pleasure yourself to climax if he really wanted to."

"I think _he'd_ enjoy it too much," Robin said, grimly. "Why, Mento? Why did you do this?"

The man let out a laugh. "Oh come on!" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "With the life BB led before he joined you, you should be able to figure that one out…"

Seeing the blank expressions on the Titans' faces, a look of surprise came over Mento's face. "He never told you, did he?" he said, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Well, he never was too proud about his past."

"What are talking about?" Raven said, narrowing her eyes. "All Beast Boy ever told us about the Doom Patrol was how much of an ass you were."

Mento crossed his hands over his chest, chuckling as he did so. "He did, did he?" he asked. "Well, perhaps I should…enlighten you on how we do things in the Doom Patrol."

Taking a deep breath, the man smiled. This was going to be fun.

"You see," he began, "many of you costumed kiddos like to think that the Doom Patrol is just another super-powered club of heroes. That's what Garfield Logan, your precious Beast Boy, thought. But, he learned the hard way just how different we really were."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked, narrowing his eyes as he tried to keep his menacing presence alive despite the situation.

Mento laughed. "I guess the easiest way to explain the truth is this: the Doom Patrol is a fraternity of mercenaries trained to take on and accomplish any mission, anywhere, at any time…provided it's at the right price."

"So, you sell yourself out?" Cyborg asked, frowning.

"Cy, please," Mento said, smiling. "You make me sound like a prostitute."

"Aren't you?" Raven asked, glaring.

"No, I'm a solider of fortune," Mento said, proudly. "I'll even give you an example: For the right price, the Doom Patrol will free the members of the Ani-Wani-Wookie tribe of Papua New Guinea from their oppressive masters. However, if a short gentleman with a monocle and a cheesy mustache brings me a briefcase filled with small, unmarked bills, then the Doom Patrol has no qualms about wiping out the tribe it just saved."

"You're a murderer," Robin said, angrily.

"Not quite," the man said. "I'm a murderer-for-hire. I do it for the money."

"I see," the Boy Wonder said. "And I suppose that makes it all better?"

Mento grinned. "It lets me sleep at night like a baby. Anyway, this was the world that Garfield grew up in. From day one, I carved him out to become something…special. I sought to mold him into my protégé."

The man paused, as if savoring the memories. "It's a shame he didn't tell you about his past," he mused. "Maybe you wouldn't have treated him so badly if you knew what he was capable of."

"And what exactly is he capable of?" Robin asked.

"Well, let's see…" Mento said, tapping a finger to his lips. "Oh yeah…Garfield is well-versed in mind games, survival tactics, and even torture methodology. He's an amazing marksman as well. Maybe not as proficient as Slade, but likely on par with his daughter. Finally, he probably knows more martial arts than you do, Robin."

Mento stood in silence for a moment, letting it all sink in. The truth had been told. Now how would they react to it?

"Bullshit," Raven said, shaking her head as it was the only part of her body she could move. "I'd buy Beast Boy having skills he didn't use on a regular basis, but him a trained killer? Get lucid!"

Mento laughed. "Oh, you're just saying that because you want him to look inferior to hide the fact that you've wanted to ride him like a mechanical bull ever since you first laid eyes on him," he said.

"Yeah, right," Raven said. But the words couldn't hide the fact that her face was slowly turning crimson.

"Beast Boy's history aside, he was your protégé," Robin said, firmly. "Why would you want to kill him?"

"Oh, so now I'm being questioned about my motives by Batman's little lap dog?" Mento said, smiling.

The Boy Wonder's face burned, but he kept his composure. "My mentor and I don't exactly trade Christmas cards during the holidays, but then again he isn't trying to kill me," he shot back. "Why are you trying to kill BB?"

"Because he failed!" Mento said, angrily. "I spent years molding him into the perfect killer. I taught him everything I knew, and when it came time for him to prove himself, what did he do? He choked! He couldn't do it! See, Garfield didn't have qualms about taking a life if they were trying to reduce him to a bloody pile – something your faggot of a mentor couldn't handle. But when it came to taking the life of a politician who was making life harder for the South Vietnamese drug trade…he wouldn't pull the trigger. He couldn't kill anyone who hadn't wronged him. Despite everything I taught him, somehow he grew a fuckin' conscience at the worst possible time."

"I'd say it was the right time," Robin growled.

"You would," Mento said, grimacing. "You and your little team, all talking about bringing peace and tranquility to Jump City. Don't you fucks realize that peace is the last thing you really want?!"

"You are not making sense, Mento," Starfire said, shaking her head. "Peace is what all people dream about."

"Not me, cupcake!" the man said, gritting his teeth. "Do you realize that if this whole world goes all sissy man Alan Alda on us, we'll all be out of a job?! Do you really think that this city's gonna keep you troublemakers around if there's nothing causing bigger problems for them? You'll be out on the streets, selling your body for the rent."

Now it was Robin's turn to chuckle. "I think we could handle ourselves if that occasion arose," he said.

"Not me!" Mento said. "I make my living on war and strife! If peace was declared, you really think I could get unemployment? You think I could get a job at Microsoft? Fuck no! This is my life, and I will do everything I can to protect it!"

"All right, I get it," Robin said, calmly. "You want Beast Boy dead because he failed you. How do we fit into the picture?"

"That's simple," Mento said, a grin returning to his face. "You kids are stealing my thunder. Do you know how many calls the Doom Patrol has been on in the last six months? Six! An average of one per month! Shit, we used to get six calls a week! People were clamoring to get their hands on the protection of the Doom Patrol! Now? Now all the people want are the fuckin' Teen Titans. East, west, north, south, deep in the barrios – they don't give a fuck! They want _Titans_!"

Mento glared down at the heroes that knelt before him. He wanted to strangle them all, one by one, while the others watched. He would do it slowly, take his time, enjoy it to the last drop. But now was not the time, and this was not the place.

"I have been a soldier of fortune for twenty-four years, ever since I was a child," he growled. "This is my life, and I'm not about to be pushed into retirement by a bunch of meddling fuckin' KIDS!"

"Mento!" Blood interjected.

"WHAT?!" the man said, spinning around to confront the villain.

"Logan's on his way here," Blood said, matter-of-factly. "We need to be gone by the time he arrives…unless you'd like to kill him yourself."

Mento stood in silence for a moment, contemplating that idea. He could do it. He was the master, and Logan was the student. He could do it…

"No," he said, finally. "If I kill him, it'll be like destroying myself. Besides, I've already paid you to do it. So DO IT!"

Robin and the other Titans grunted as they were forced back onto their feet. As they were marched towards the elevator, Blood glared back at his students.

"Control Freak, keep a lookout for Logan and inform my boys when he arrives," he said. "As for the rest of you, let's see if you can get it right this time. If you can't , DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK!"

With those last words, Blood headed towards the elevator, a smile on his face. This building would be Logan's grave. Once they had the confirmation of his death, then the Titans would die by inches. The endgame was finally at hand.


	13. Factory Liquidation Sale

_My legs are killing me by the time I get to Dreyer and 21__st__. Still, my heart's pounding like a jackhammer. Good thing as far as I'm concerned. As I walk up to the warehouse, I notice it's quiet. __**Too**__ quiet. Donna's nowhere to be found. I don't like this at all. I take a moment to take the building in. Not sure, but I think I see movement inside. They're waiting for me. Man, this is fucked._

Mammoth looked out the window. As he did so, a look of confusion came over his face.

"Hey, where's he going?" he asked as Logan disappeared down an alleyway.

_I take a detour over to a local building. I climb the fire escape up to the roof. Looking over, I see at least one person on the roof. Probably the lookout. Quickly, I hop across the gap to the warehouse's roof. Guy's on the phone. Doesn't even see me coming…_

"Look, I told you we've been here for twenty minutes," Control Freak shouted into his cell phone. "If Logan's on his way, then he's taking his sweet ass time. Look – look! I'll call you back when he arrives, alright?"

As the rotund villain hung up, he shook his head. "Fucking yelling at me and shit…" he grumbled to himself. "I'm the one who sent him on his merry way. Don't tell me what I need to be doing! I'm doing my shit! My shit's on lockdown! I swear…"

That when he heard the CLICK. Within moments, Logan stood before Freak. At the sight of the gun, the villain changed his tune.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, BB!" he said, smiling as he held his hands up in surrender. "What's shaking, man?"

"You mind telling me what you're doing standing on a building with an ambush waiting for me inside?" the Titan asked.

'Oh…yeah! See, I was just about to call you, man…" Control Freak began, but Logan simply raised his own hands.

"Okay, you know what?" he said. "DING. Time's up."

The rotund villain recoiled in horror as the shape shifter made his move. "Wait, what do you mean by 'DING'?" he said as Logan scooped him up. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'DING'?!"

* * *

Mammoth squinted due to the glare of the summer sun on the sidewalk. Take a moment of time to rub his eyes, he never saw Control Freak pummel past the window like a falling turd. Nor did he see him hit the ground with a mighty KER-SPLAT! He did, however, look back out the window just in time to see two sneakered feet coming for his face.

As the H.I.V.E. student stumbled back onto the ground, Logan hit the floor with his gun held high. Mammoth was disoriented, and See-more was calm as a cucumber. The other students were a bunch of newcomers, not even on the streets long enough for the Titan to known their names. He did know that they probably weren't bulletproof.

As he scanned the room, he noticed the chair. His heart sank as he recognized his cousin slumped in the seat.

"Donna…" he said, closing his eyes. It was for but a moment. When they sprang open again, he leveled his weapon at See-more. "Give me one good reason not to plug your ass right now, fuckwad," he growled.

"Look, BB," See-more said, calmly, "We didn't wanna have to do this, but Blood's got his mind set on you. Your cousin…she was a loose end that he wanted tied up. Now, you might think you got the whole story figured out, but trust me – you don't."

"Why don't you educate me?" Logan asked, his finger tight on the trigger.

"I don't have the time or the means," the villain said, shaking his head. "Look, what happened to the Titans was a shame, but you of all people know how this game's supposed to be played. If I were you, I just find someplace nice and comfortable…and just die."

"'Just die?'" Logan echoed. Quickly, he pointed up at his face. "Does it look like I got 'dumbass' written on my forehead? Who do you think you're messing with?"

"Hey man, just go," See-more said. His wide range of view allowed him to see one of his classmates slowly approaching the Titan from behind, a length of wire around his fists. "Look, we'll tell Blood you're dead. Giving the shape you're in, it probably won't be too long now. Just…die, man. We all gotta go someday."

Logan sighed. The gun slowly settled back down to his side. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, quietly. "We all gotta go someday."

As the wire was prepared to loop around the green man's neck, a black vortex began swirling in the center of the room. Needless to say, it caught the attention of everyone in the building. The quiet assassin soon dropped the wire, and fell to the floor with a thud that got See-more's attention.

"What the hell?" These were the last words he spoke before Logan buried a bullet in his brain.

"Shit!" Mammoth shouted. Quickly, he leapt out one of the windows. He'd survive the fall better than he'd survive Logan's wrath. The other villains, however, did not fare as well. They would be spared, though, as Titans East streamed through the vortex and took the remaining H.I.V.E. members out with a minimum of fuss. Seeing the heroes at work, Logan lowered the gun, and smirked.

"Nice timing," he said, noticing Jericho emerging from the portal. He was the one who took down the wire-wielding baddie with his possession ability.

"Aqualad traced Mento's communicator here," Bumblebee said, dusting off her uniform. "Good thing we came prepared."

Logan cocked his head to the side. "Mento's communicator?" he asked. "But why would he…"

_I stumble forward, collapsing onto my hands and knees. The epinephrine's done. I'm done, too. Shit, my body's like a Yugo in a mud hole. I hear the Titans call my name as I slip away into the darkness. But it's not the voices I know. Too bad I wouldn't get to hear them again. Server…timing…out…_


	14. Let's Call It A Comeback

"Is…is he dead?"

"No…not yet, anyway…"

_I awaken to voices talking over me. In the bright light, I can make out a number of shadowy figures hovering over me. Either I'm dead or I just got abducted by aliens. Either one would seem more plausible than still being alive at my rate._

_As I come back into focus, I see Bumblebee and Speedy standing over me. The rest of Titans East is in the room, along with Kole, Jericho, and the Herald. Aqualad is sitting next to me, monitoring my vitals. It's like a dream…_

"Yo, looks who's finally awake," Lad said as Logan shook his head. "Man, you had us worried for a while."

Looking at the aquatic hero, the Titan soon realized that he was hooked up to an IV. Watching the liquid drip down, he looked back at Lad.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Epinephrine in saline solution," Lad said.

"Hmm, feels kinda nice," Logan said.

"Well, I mixed in a little of that wonderful Titan painkiller XYT," the hero said. "That's the endorphins running to your brain."

Despite the high, the green man knew something was still up. "Wait a minute," he said. "So I'm not better?"

"Hell no," Aqualad said, frowning. "You're in such shit shape it's stunning. Shit oughta be in a medical journal."

"What about the cocktail?" Logan asked, furiously. "Isn't there some sort of antidote for it?"

Aqualad scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well…that's what I need to talk to you about," he stammered.

The Titan sat back on the chair. Something was wrong. "What's going on, man?" he asked. "Give it to me straight."

Lad sighed. "BB, I made a mistake on my first observation," he said. "Given the way that the poison was working in your body, I assumed it was the H.I.V.E. Cocktail they gave you. However, when the Herald took me to the tower in Jump City I found the syringe that Adonis injected you with." Running a hand through his hair, he paused for a moment. "I ran a chemical check on it through the Titan database. What they put in you…it wasn't the H.I.V.E. Cocktail."

Logan sighed himself as he took in the information. "What was it, then?" he asked. He needed to know. If this shit was going to kill him, he needed to know…

"It's a compound called 'The Black Hand of Doom'," Aqualad said, finally.

_Motherfucker…_

"Did you just say 'The Black Hand of Doom'?" Logan asked.

"Yeah," Lad said, raising an eyebrow. "You know of it?"

The Titan leaned back in the chair, chuckling grimly as he did so. His reaction set the other Titans on edge.

"What's so funny?" Bumblebee asked.

Logan stopped laughing, and shook his head. "I used to make it," he said, calmly. "Every day, I'd sit in that lab for hours on end, perfecting my method of creating the poison, knowing what I should add and how much of it to add to build the perfect batch…"

"Beast Boy, what are you talking about?" Speedy asked, swallowing hard. This was not the Titan he knew.

Logan looked back up at him. "There's only one group who uses 'The Black Hand of Doom' to eliminate its' targets," he said, with a pause. "…And that's the Doom Patrol."

Shaking his head, the shape shifter suddenly slammed his fist on the armrest of the chair. "Motherfucking Mento! He set me up!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aqualad said, trying to calm the hero down. "What about Mento?"

Logan shook his head, gritting his teeth as he did so. "Mento's the one responsible," he growled. "He's the one who had the Titans kidnapped, who had me poisoned, who…who killed my cousin. I should have seen it coming…"

"BB, why the hell would Mento want to kill you?" Lad asked.

_I figured this was a better time than ever. I told them about my years in the Doom Patrol. ALL of it. About the missions, the daily abuse, the skills I learned, and the moment I broke free from Mento's control. Judging by their reactions, they were finding it a hard pill to swallow. Can't blame 'em. They were listening to the big goofball of Jump City talk about how he could kill an elephant with a bit key. I wouldn't have believed it myself if it was being told to me…if I hadn't lived it. As I came to an end, Aqualad shook his head in shame. I figure he was kicking himself for not noticing the trained killer underneath the skin. Then again, I had made it priority to keep that part of my past a secret…at least until today, when that secret threatened the lives of my friends._

"BB…fuck…" Lad said, running a hand over his mouth. "I can't understand how you managed to portray such a butthead for so long without anyone noticing."

Logan laughed. "Because for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged," he said, smiling. "I felt accepted for who I was, not what I could do. Besides, my morphing ability gave me something else to rely on instead of what Doom Patrol taught me. Mento probably reverse-engineered the process that gave me that power and 'cured' me of it. Now, all I got is what he taught me. He wants me to play his game, and if I want the Titans back, I gotta play it to the end."

The green man sighed. "So, what now?" he asked.

Lad stared at him for a moment. "What now?" he echoed, a defeated tone in his voice. "This stuff is too potent. I know you've probably heard it already today, but…you're fucked."

The hero leaned back in his chair, his arms behind his head. "Look, I could put you on life support or something, maybe string this thing out for a few days. In the end, though, you're gonna go into a coma. I'm…I'm sorry."

Logan's head dropped to his chest as he absorbed the message. The poison was too far gone. So was he. He would die.

"Look, let me overload you with XYT or something," Aqualad said, smiling sadly. "Let you go out in a beautiful dream. We'll save the Titans…or die trying. That I can promise."

Logan nodded his head. "Go out in a dream…" he mused. "No…I don't want that."

Aqualad narrowed his eyes. "Then what do you want?" he asked.

The Titan looked at his friend, determination set deep in his eyes. "One hour," he said.


	15. Runnin' On Empty

Brother Blood sat up with a start as his phone rang in the car. Picking it up, he cleared his throat.

"Tell me you've got some good news," he said.

"I do, Blood," Logan said. "I only had to kill one of your douche bag students thanks to a couple of friends…well, if you don't count Control Freak's crater of a fat ass."

Blood slammed his talons deep into the seat of his limo. His voice, however, remained calm.

"You know, you're making this a bad fucking habit," he said as he withdrew his hand from the cushions.

"Indeed I am," the Titan said. "What say we finish this? Face-to-face?"

Blood nodded. "What do you propose?"

"You and I. Rooftop of the Perez in twenty minutes. Far enough away from the superhero convention to cause any real ruckus. Not like those guys seem to have been paying much attention to what's going on outside of the building. Too busy trading stories and numbers to do their jobs properly."

"What, like you?" Blood asked, smiling.

"Exactly," Logan said. "Bring the Titans. We'll negotiate their release then."

The cult leader laughed. "What are you willing to give me for them?" he asked.

"Me." The single word was like a gunshot.

"That's it?" he said. "I would have thought you knew better than that."

"You really gonna give up the opportunity to kill me in front of the Titans?" Logan said, chuckling. "I sure that'll make Mento real happy. You do know he's capable of killing your monkey ass at any time of his choosing, right?"

Blood was silent for a moment. "How did you-!" he started.

"Doesn't matter," the Titan said, quickly. "If you wanna come through on your end of the bargain with your internal organs still in place, you'll be there. Got me?"

"Yeah, I'll be here," Blood said angrily as the line went dead.

"Wow," Billy Numerous said as he sat next to the H.I.V.E. leader. "Maybe we shoulda injected him with more of that stuff."

"You think, shit-for-brains?" Blood said angrily as the limo changed course.

* * *

_The portal closes behind me. The Herald was nice enough to drop me off a few blocks from the Perez. Also nice enough to get me a nice suit jacket to match the clothes I stole...borrowed long-term from that store. Don't mind the walk. I didn't want to drop right into a firefight. Preferred to walk into one where all the guns were pointed at my face. Better odds that way. My body's running on empty. Quickly, I flip the switch. The kick brings me back. Gonna need every bit of it to get through this. _

_I enter the lobby. A few of the H.I.V.E personnel are watching me. Figured they'd be waiting for me. I press the button for the top floor. I knew the Perez had an executive suite on the roof. That's where this chapter would come to an end._

"You know, I gotta admit: this suite's pretty posh," Mento said, taking a glance around the rooftop. With a full scale bar, pool, and access to the helipad, this was something that Mento dreamed of having one day. "Can't believe a guy like you has access to it," he added, looking over at Brother Blood. The two were sitting on a white satin couch out in the sun.

"Well, they don't really have choice in the matter," Blood said, smirking. "Especially on account I own the building."

"I like your style of design, man," Mento said, grinning. "However, I _really_ like this coffee table."

"Especially since you added your own little…flair to it," Blood mused.

"Interior designer in training," the man said as he brought his feet up and dropped them onto the coffee table. It was then that he heard a grunt emanate from in front of him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, directing his comment at the table. "Did that hurt?"

From the top of the furniture, Raven glared with a white-hot fury at the man. A power-draining collar was locked in place around her neck, her body stretched out across the wood and tied to the legs of the table. With the exception of her underwear, the girl's gray pallor was bare, her bare chest heaving under the weight of Mento's legs.

"What do you fucking think?" she quipped, trying to squirm out from under his boots. She soon breathed a sigh of relief as Mento planted his feet back down on the ground.

"Oh come off it, Raven," the man said, grabbing the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket. "You need to lighten up. Just…chill." He punctuated that remark by bringing the bottom of the bottle down onto her stomach, just below the rib cage. The girl gasped in shock as the cold took her breath away.

"Oh GOD that's cold!" she squealed.

Mento laughed as he pulled the bottle back off of her. "You know, I think I can see why Garfield was so enamored with you, Rae," he said, sliding down off the couch and crouching beside her immobilized form. "You are quite beautiful to look at."

Raven shuddered as Mento's hands grabbed her breasts. Gasping for a moment, she gritted her teeth, doing all she could to resist the sensations running though her mind.

"You…are perfect…" the man hissed as he ran his fingers over the Titan's body, causing her to squirm under his fingertips.

"Mento, that enough," Blood said, firmly.

"Just a little more," the man whispered into Raven's ear.

"MENTO!" Blood's voice shot out like a twelve-gauge. This one caught the Doom Patrol leader's attention. "ENOUGH!"

With a glare that could melt ice, Mento resumed his seat, and gulped down another glass of champagne. That had not been long enough. Not for his liking…

* * *

_DING._

_The doors open. Two H.I.V.E. soldiers are here to meet me. What a surprise. Did not see that one coming. Quickly, they pull the Eagle from my belt. Well, that was to be expected. The two frog march me out into the sun. On the way, I pass Mammoth. Looks like he made it to the party after all. That's when I see them…_

"Well, well, well," Logan said as he spied Blood and Mento sitting together. "Ain't this just a fucking picture?"

Blood smiled. "Logan, so nice to see you…alive," he said.

"I'll bet," the Titan said, looking around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg against the wall. Each hero was contained in an electrified force field. "Looks like you're one shy."

"Oh, she's around," Mento said, smiling. "Come. Take a seat."

As Logan stepped around the corner of the couch adjacent to the villains, he came to a stop. Raven looked back up at him, her naked body strapped down on the table. With a quick glance back at Mento, the shape shifter took a seat.

"Well, I have to admit: you have managed to outlast all the obstacles we sent your way, son," Blood said, nodding thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever taken on an adversary as tough to kill as you in quite some time. But now…I'm afraid it's game over."

Logan looked down at his hands. "So, this is how it ends, huh?" he said, quietly. "You know, I came here knowing that you weren't gonna turn the Titans loose. That was never part of the bargain. Once I'm dead, so are they."

Mento chuckled. "Oh, maybe I won't kill them all," he said. Once again, his hands found their way down to Raven's body. As he stroked her flesh, the girl bit her lip, her body fighting against every sensation. "Does this turn you on, Garfield?" he purred. "Come on, I know you have a thing for her…"

_As Raven let out a whimper, I could feel the fury rising deep within me. No one deserved to be treated like that, especially Rae. That fuck's got his hands on her, making her cringe. Can't make a move just yet – time's not right. But, I do have another method of buying time. Truth hurts. That's what they say. Let's find out just how much…_

"Yeah, I do, Mento," Logan said, firmly as he watched his mentor run his fingers over Raven's body. "She's a good friend. But I guess you don't have too many of those, now do ya? But I always knew that _you_ had a thing for the young ones, so riddle me this, asshole: Is that turning _you_ on?"

Mento's smile faded from his face.

"Ooo, did I strike a nerve?" the Titan said, emotionlessly. "See, I know about you. I knew why you loved going down to Thailand, loved to surround yourself with child prostitutes to make yourself feel like a big man. But, you're not as smart as you think, Mento. You see, you never once thought that Rachael knew what the fuck was going on. You never thought that Elastic-Girl would put two and two together. She took care of the finances, Mento! When some kind of strange charge came in on the account, you think she just let it slide? She knew." He paused for a moment as he leaned towards his mentor. "Did you ever wonder why she looked at me like I was something special, hmm? Did you ever think that she would see me as the surrogate for the love you spurned? Did you consider that, maybe, by making me your protégé…that I'd be able to replace you in more ways than one?"

"FUCK YOU!" Mento roared, the mental mind game far too much for him to deal with. Quickly, he rose from the couch, leveling his gun at Logan's face. "Give me a reason, asshole! Give me a reason to put you down like a rabid dog!"

"MENTO!" Blood yelled, trying to rein in the angered soldier. "SIT DOWN!"

With much hesitation, Mento sat back on the couch, gun still in hand. It was then that he noticed something underneath Logan's jacket.

"Hey, hey!" he said, pointing at the Titan. "Check him again! He's still got something on him!"

As the H.I.V.E. soldiers pulled him back to his feet, the green man grimaced. Pulling up the back of his shirt, there it was: a small device anchored to the back of his pants. Tubes ran up into the small of his back.

"What the fuck is that?" Mento growled as the soldier pulled the device off, much to Logan's discomfort, and handed it to Brother Blood.

Blood took the device, looking it over in his hands. As he did so, a smile came to his face. "Very impressive," he said, looking at the Titan. "Let me guess: an insulin pump, right? And I'm willing to bet it's filled with epinephrine?"

Logan sat in silence, just glaring at them.

"Well, you're resourceful, I'll give you that," Blood said as he reached into a small metal box next to him on the couch. As they watched, he retrieved a metallic syringe from the confines of the box.

"That what I think it is?" Logan asked, eyeing the needle.

Blood smiled. "It is," he said. "'The Black Hand of Doom'."

Snapping his fingers, he looked at the two soldiers. "Hold him down," he ordered. "This time, we're going to watch him die."

As the soldiers went to grab him, the Titan stood up in a huff. With a whirl of his hands, he dove into the pockets of his coat and pulled the last card he had up his sleeve. Blood and Mento soon found themselves staring down a gun…made of Logan's finger and thumb. The sight was absurd to behold at least, and the two burst into a fit of laughter.

"Dude, the guy's gone all dipsy-doodle!" Mammoth said, booming with laughter.

Robin and the others could believe their eyes. Beast Boy was trying to hold off Blood and his men with only his finger.

"Oh man," he muttered. "BB, you schmuck…"

Blood smiled as Logan stood his ground. "Nice job, but the fun and games are over," he said, getting to his feet. In response, Logan moved his finger over to one of the soldiers, who chuckled at the sight of the 'weapon'.

"Get him," the cult leader said, smirking.

"Boosh," The Titan said as he 'pulled the trigger'.


	16. Give Me Fuel, Give Me Fire

Blood jumped back in shock as the soldier's head snapped back. Like a redwood in the forest, he slowly toppled forward onto the deck.

"Holy fuck…" Mento said, getting to his feet. Looking around, he couldn't see anything. He knew damn well that Logan didn't carry loaded fingers, so what the hell had happened…

Suddenly, he saw it. The edge of the bandana flapping in the breeze. The cool, calm, and collected mind that sat beneath the fabric. He knew exactly who it was looking at…

"Fuck…Ravager…"

* * *

Rose Wilson rotated her neck. That last shot had been a centimeter to the left. She hadn't adjusted perfectly for wind correction. Close, but no cigar. Perched on a roof top across the street, she was well out of the range of the handguns and automatic weapons. As she reloaded the bolt action rifle, she paused to recollect on Logan's call. Right after he set up Blood to meet him, the Titan had phoned her with the information she needed to get set up. She had watched the entire tirade go down on the rooftop, just waiting for the signal: the 'hand' gun. Now, as the next round loaded in, she set her sights on Mento. She wouldn't kill him – just wound his ego.

"Fuck you too, baby," she said as she pulled the trigger.

* * *

Mento snapped back over the couch as the bullet struck him in the shoulder. The impact was strong enough to knock the wind out of him. Taking cover behind the furniture, he had a moment to inspect himself. Not too much damage, but he was still knocked for a loop. Blood, on the other hand, dropped behind the flower pots as bullets came flying in from nowhere. Guards were dropping like flies around them. Billy Numerous, however, had hit the deck near Raven's feet. Quickly, he pulled a knife from his belt. If he was going down, he'd take someone with him.

Raven looked up at Billy as he raised the knife above his head.

"Shit…" she cried.

The blade came snaking down – and came to a stop as Logan drove his forearm underneath Billy's arm.

"Not today, pal," he said.

Billy's eyes went wild. Leaning back, he noticed a handgun sitting on the ground. Probably Mento's from when he got shot. Grabbing it quickly, the villain swung the gun back around towards the Titan.

BAM! Logan's other arm went up, pushing the gun out of his face. For a few moments Raven watched helplessly as the two engaged in a close-range battle, Logan using one arm to keep the gun away from his body and the over to keep the knife away from her's. Finally, with a might shove, Billy took back control of the knife.

"What now?!" he shouted, raising the blade high over his head. As he did so, he had a thought: 'Wait…didn't I have a gun?'

BLAM! The villain's head snapped back as Logan sent a round deep into his skull. As Numerous fell down, the Titan plucked the knife from his hand.

"What now?" he echoed.

With bullets flying everywhere, Logan pulled the coffee table down on its side, bringing Raven down with it. Quickly, he cut the ropes holding her hands and feet in place.

"Rae, you okay?" he asked.

The girl gave him a tight smile. "I'll live," she said. "What about you?"

BLAM! The two ducked as H.I.V.E. soldiers opened up in all directions, trying to find the elusive shooter.

"Ask me later," he said, pushing her down on the deck and covering her as two more shots put the soldiers down for the count. It was then that Raven felt something sticking deep into the small of her back.  
"BEAST BOY!" she shouted, glaring back up at him.

Quickly, Logan got back to his feet. "Blame the adrenaline," he said curtly.

_Rose's cleared out most of the armed troops. Got two club-wielding jackasses coming my way. Don't need the gun for these fucks. I toss it over the couch. Just me and my two deadly weapons for this one…_

* * *

Robin ducked down in his cell as the bullets exploded near his location. He wasn't sure whether or not the force fields were bulletproof, but he was hoping they were – at least for the Titans' sake. Looking out into the deck, he saw the two soldiers coming in hot on Logan.

"Beast Boy! Look out!" he shouted.

The Boy Wonder's eyes widened as he watched the green man floor one soldier with a solid punch and incapacitate the other with an elbow to the spine. It had all happened in a matter of three seconds. Furthermore, it had come from the biggest klutz in Teen Titan history.

"Beast Boy?" he said to himself, a stunned look on his face. "Whoa…maybe Mento was right."

_As I straighten out my jacket, I heard a small THUD land near my feet. With the last of his strength, one of the soldiers had lobbed a grenade in my direction. Quickly, I scoop it up and fling it over the bar before flinging myself back on top of Raven. Here comes the BOOM…_

Brother Blood's eyes nearly went cross-eyed as he saw the explosive land near his position. Not enough time to run, nowhere to run as long as the sharpshooter was out there, no choice left…

Quickly, the cult leader grabbed Mammoth by the back of his shirt and hurled themselves on top of the grenade.

"GET DOWN!" he roared as they impacted the floor.

"Gee, thanks, Brother Blood!" the large villain said. It would be the last thing he ever said…

BOOM! The impact of the explosion flung Blood into the air. As he landed, he was covering in the blood of his former student. No matter – at least _he _was alive.

"No, thank you," he said, nodding his head towards the blown-out corpse.

Quickly, he peered out over the side of the bar. A few more armored guards were storming the rooftop. Chances were they'd be the main target for the shooter. Closing his eyes, Blood took a deep breath. He had one shot at this…

As the bullets rained down on the guards, the H.I.V.E. leader sprinted out from behind the bar. His legs pumped with everything they had as he rushed towards the corner of the rooftop. The stairway to the helipad would be out of the sniper's range…

"SHIT!" he screamed as bullets exploded the tiles near his feet. With everything he had left, the villain dove behind the safety of the concrete wall. Breathing heavily, he sat on the ground, holding his hand over his heart as it pounded like a jackhammer.

"Too…fucking…close…" he panted as he recomposed himself.

* * *

As Logan got back to his feet, he looked down at Raven.

"Stay here," he said, calmly.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked.

_I take a few steps. Then I hear a CLICK. Spinning around, I see Mento. He's back on his feet. Fuck, he's armed. Must have taken the gun I threw over the couch. He's aiming…no…_

Raven rolled onto her back as she heard the CLICK – and let out a gasp as she saw Mento pointing the gun at her head.

"Time's up, little bitch," he said with a smile.

_NO! Gotta act fast. My hand grabs the neck of the champagne bottle. Got only one shot. Here goes…_

* * *

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news report. Reporter Ted Garcia is on the scene with the info. Ted?"

"Thanks, Jane. I'm here at the Perez Hotel in downtown Jump City, where the volatile madman who caused both death and destruction in our fair city earlier today seems to be engaged in a last stand against members of Jump City's criminal underground. Unconfirmed reports of the Teen Titans being held captive on the roof have not been commented on by police as of this time. Now, we are hoping to get our cameras in the air and have a live feed of the events taking place momentarily. We must warn you, however, that the images you are about to see may be graphic in nature, so if you have small children or a weak stomach, you might want to leave the room…"

* * *

Mento shouted in pain as the champagne bottle shattered against his hand, knocking the gun loose form his grip. As if karma had joined in the fight on Logan's side, the gun discharged as it struck the deck, prompting another cry of pain from the solider as the bullet ripped through his right ear.

"FUCK!" he shouted, stumbling towards the edge of the building. Seeing his chance, Logan leapt over Raven and scooped up the gun in his hand.

"MENTO!" he shouted.

The Doom Patrol leader turned around – only to see his own gun pointed at him. Raising his hands, he smiled.

"Come on, Garfield," he said. "You don't have it in you."

Logan narrowed his eyes. His finger tightened on the trigger….

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Mento stumbled back as the Titan emptied the entire clip into him. Clenching his teeth in pain, the once-proud solider of fortune collapsed on the deck mere inches from the edge. Logan tossed the gun in the pool, sighing as he did so.

"I had enough in me to kill you," he said, firmly. Turning back around, he watched as Rose appeared from the black vortex, the Herald in tow.

"Wow," the girl said, eyeing the green man's handiwork. "Like a professional hit man. I'm impressed."

"Hey, I ain't no Chev Chelios," Logan said with a grin.

"Who?" Rose asked.

"Uh…never mind," he said, looking at the Titans. "You mind busting them out? I'm out of bullets."

"Oh, such a gentleman," Rose said with a smile. Quickly, she raised her handgun, and blew out the security controls. The force fields flickered for a second before fading away entirely.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire said, embracing the young hero in a big hug. "We were worried about you!"

"Nice to see you too, Star," the shape shifter choked out from under the bear hug.

"Um, a little help here?" Raven said as he got back on her feet, her hands covering her breasts. Quickly, Logan shed his jacket and wrapped in around her.

"Here," he said. "It's not much, but better than nothing."

"BB, I can't believe you saved us!" Cyborg said, smiling. "I'm gonna make you the best tofu cake in the world when we get back to the tower!"

"Um, Cy, here's something I gotta talk to you about," Logan said, grimacing. It was time to come clean.

"Sure, man," the Titan said, beaming. "What's up?"

Logan scratched the top of his head. "I…uh…kinda totaled the Cy-Car," he muttered.

"You WHAT!?" Cyborg said, his jaw dropping to the floor. "Oh, the horror! The HORROR! BB, I'm gonna kill you!"

As Starfire and Ravager worked to hold the enraged Titan back, Robin looked at Logan with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, a trained killer, huh?" he said, coldly.

The Titan hung his head. The truth was out in the open now, and it wasn't pretty.

"Look, I should've told you guys," he said, shaking his head, "but I was afraid of what you might think. I thought…I thought you might be afraid of me, hate me for what I'd done."

Robin stood in silence for a moment. Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on the hero's shoulder.

"Don't be," he said, calmly. "You're still Beast Boy, and you'll always be a Titan."

Logan looked back up into the Boy Wonder's smiling face. Even after it all, after everything that had happened, they would take him back. That…that was a good feeling.

"Herald, take the Titans back to the tower," he said, firmly. "This thing with Blood…I gotta do this alone."

"I'm staying," Rose said, quickly.

"I said I'm doing this alone," Logan repeated.

"Then I'll enjoy the show," the girl said, grinning.

"BB, what about the poison?" Raven asked, fear in her eyes.

"It's fine," the Titan said, smiling. "I've got it under control."

"Wait, Logan," Herald began, "I thought Aqualad said…"

"Lad was wrong," Logan cut him off. "There is an antidote."

"BB…" Robin began.

"Don't worry about me," the shape shifter said. "I'll be fine. Just make sure to save some pizza for me when I get back."

Starfire looked rather forlorn as she gave Logan one last embrace. It was almost as if she felt this would be the last time. "Be careful," she whispered to him as Herald opened the portal that would take them back to the base of the tower. Quickly, she entered it, along with Robin, who shot the Titan one last parting glance before disappearing into the wormhole.

"You and I are gonna have a long talk when you get back about touching my stuff!" Cyborg yelled as he headed towards the portal.

"You're my best friend, too," Logan said, smiling. That just left Raven to head through. But she seemed…hesitant.

"Garfield," she said, calling him by his first name – something she had never done before outside of mocking him for it, "That thing about the antidote…is that true?"

The Titan sighed. "Yes, it is," he lied.

Raven sighed. She wasn't quite sure how to phrase her next words, but she was going to try anyway. "Look, Beast Boy," she began. "You…you saved my life, and I don't know if I can ever truly repay you for that. I…I just want you to know…"

The girl's words came to an abrupt end as Logan pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes went wild as her mind comprehended what was going on. As much as she wanted to fight it, her body wanted it to last forever…

Slowly, the green man pulled back, leaving a look of shock on her face.

"You can slap me later," he said, smiling. With that, he headed off in the direction of the stairway, leaving the Girl from Azarath with a goofy smile on her face as Rose and the Herald led her towards the portal.


	17. Stairway To Heaven

_As Raven disappeared into the portal, I headed towards the direction of Blood's escape. If I know him, he's gonna try to take off in a copter. Gonna stop him before he gets there. Looking back at the rooftop, I can see the bodies strewn every which way. That's when I notice it._

_Mento's gone. Hmm, he went down near the edge. Probably rolled over it and down to the streets below. No time to worry about that now. I can hear Blood's footsteps on the stairs. I also hear about half a dozen coming down the other way. Last of Blood's guards. I'll put them away. Then, that bastard's mine._

Logan pressed his body against the bottom of the stairway as the guards came running down. With one fell swoop, he stuck his arm through the side rail, tripping up the first guard and knocking him out cold. The others came to a quick stop as Logan hefted himself up onto the stairs. Landing with a THUD, he glared at the men.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Christmas?" he shouted. "Come and get me!"

_Fools couldn't shoot, not the way they were standing. It'd be like that British infantry skit from Monty Python. I flip the first one over my shoulder. I can hear his bones break as he tumbles down the stairs. Next one takes a shot. Ducking under, I toss the guy over the side rail and onto his head. Three down, three to go. Next one's got some fight in him. Catches me with a right hook. Next punch sends him down the stairs as I toss him over my head. Didn't even feel it. Adrenaline's still running. Just need enough to put Blood away for good. Fifth guard's thrown a straight jab. I catch it and kill it at the elbow. He's down. Last guy's near the top of the stairwell. Got a clean shot…_

_BLAM! Bullet grazes my face. I feel the blood drip down my cheek. In a rage, I deliver a solid kick to his chest. The momentum sends him flying over the edge of the stairwell – and the building. Hope you can fly, buddy. On to the next level._

Blood grunted as he pulled open the doors of the helicopter.

"Get this fucker in the air!" he shouted.

On impulse, the pilot prepped the aircraft for takeoff. As the H.I.V.E. leader breathed a sight of relief, he reached out to close the door. His blood ran cold as Logan's hand clamped down on his arm.

"Don't you know it's impolite not to say good-bye?!" the Titan yelled.

Hopping up on the skid, Logan delivered a solid punch to the cult leader's face. Then another. And then another.

"Hope you got life insurance, asshole!" the green man said, grimly. "I gotta wonder what the H.I.V.E.'s gonna do without you!"

Blood brought his foot up, and planted it on Logan's chest. "You should be more concerned about what the Titans are going to do without YOU!" he shouted as he tried to dislodge the offending hero from his helicopter. He succeeded in pushing him back out the door. The victory was short-lived, however, as Logan drove his elbow down into the villain's knee. Being that his arms were the only biotic implants he had, Blood screamed in pain as his kneecap shattered.

_Just beginning, Blood. I poise up, ready to deliver another solid strike…_

_That's when I feel it go into my neck…_

Logan cried out in pain as the syringe depressed deep into his being. As he yelled, a massive fist connected with the side of his head, dropping him to the ground.

_Fuck…Head's on fire. My muscles clamp up as I lay on the ground. That's when I hear the voice. The voice of a dead man…_

"Fuck you, Garfield!"

Blood gathered his composure as he looked back out of the helicopter. To his surprise, Mento stood over the sprawled Titan, raining down a heap of curses upon him.

"I told you that you were dead!" the soldier said, peeling the bulletproof vest away from his chest. "You're dead, you hear me? Do me favor, and take this one last order for me, would ya, Logan? Play dead! BE DEAD!"

With that, Mento looked into the copter. Spying Blood, he sighed.

"Where the fuck were you?" the cult leader shouted.

"Contemplating," Mento said. "You know, this deal I had with you – you kill the Titans, I stay in business – sounded like a real good plan. But I'm a fickle kinda guy."

"What do you mean?" Blood growled.

"Sorry, Blood, but I've changed my mind," the Doom Patrol leader said.

The H.I.V.E. leader shot up in pain as Mento emptied half the clip of his backup handgun into his chest. Shaking in his death throes, the soldier pulled him from the helicopter and tossed him aside. Stepping into the aircraft himself, Mento took one last look down at his protégé.

"Bet you can't survive two doses of that shit," he said, spitting on Logan's body. "See you in Hell, Garfield."

The aircraft began its' hovering, leaving the bodies of two people Mento fucked over out to bake in the sun. Might not have killed the Titans, but he'd get another chance. Then he'd wipe out the rest of the kids with ease. Yes, this had turned out to be a good day after all.


	18. End The

_I'm dead. Gotta be. No one lives through two injections of 'The Black Hand of Doom'. No one except Superman, maybe. Thing was, I wasn't him. Heart's slowing down. Almost…over…_

_Thump...thump._

_I can see Raven's face as Mento gropes her body._

_Thump. thump._

_I see her lying on her side as I cut away her bonds._

_Thump-thump._

_I hear her yelling at me as my erection jabs her in the back._

_THUMP-thump._

_I see her as she tries to tell me she loves me._

_THUMP-thump._

_I feel her lips on mine, breaking down the barriers she had up for so long, that little smile she had when I looked back that final time…_

_THUMP-THUMP._

_I'm alive. Raven…I'm alive!_

* * *

"ARRRRRGHHHH!" Logan's eyes sprung open as his heart pounded away in his chest.

Getting to his feet, he spun around, looking for Mento. He didn't find him. But he did find the helicopter hovering over the edge of the building, finally ready to take off.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" The Titan roared like a wild animal. His feet pounded the concrete as he charged the flying machine.

_Gonna need everything for this. Can't morph into a pterodactyl if I fuck this one up. Here I come, Mento…_

* * *

The Doom Patrol leader took a moment to look down at the streets below. It was a hell of a sight. Not something you'd want to see up close from that height. Raising his head, he found himself staring at a new sight – that of Logan jumping through the air at him!

"Oh…shit…" He stammered.

_BAM! I hit the side of the copter with the force of a Mack truck. Mento's stunned as all hell to see me. Time we had a chat._

"Did you miss me?" Logan said, grinning evilly.

Mento's face contorted with rage. "I won't this time!" he said, aiming the gun at the Titan's head. Like a snake, the green man grabbed Mento's wrist and slammed it against the side of the helicopter. Two more successful slams followed. Finally, the gun fell from the soldier's hand.

"You and me now, asshole!" Logan yelled over the whirl of the blades.

Mento grinned. "You forget, Garfield – I'm still in the copter!" he yelled, delivering a massive kick to the Titan's face.

Logan gripped the edges of the door for dear life as the man grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You're trespassing on my flight!" Mento yelled. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave!"

_My fingers are slipping as he pushes down on me. Running out of time…_

_I can see Raven in my mind again, her body flawless in the summer sun. She's the reason for me to live. I feel the strength flow back into my body. My turn…_

Mento stumbled back as Logan delivered a right cross with authority. Regaining his grip, the Titan leaned in, hammering away on the dazed soldier.

"You fucked with the wrong man, Mento!" he shouted in rage.

"Man?" the Doom Patrol leader said with a scoff. "You're a fucking boy!" Rearing back, he sent another kick right into Logan's chest. Without anything to grab on to, he was done for…

Suddenly, Mento slipped towards the door of the copter. Logan had a grip on his belt. As he struggled to free himself, the Titan grabbed ahold of his shirt, pulling him upright on the edge of oblivion!

"You and me, Mento!" Logan yelled. "We go…together!"

Fear gripped Mento's heart as the hero began pushing off of the skids. "Logan, don't do this!" he hollered. "No, no, no, NO-!"

With one massive kick, Logan wrenched Mento free from the helicopter, sending the two of them into a free-fall from 5000 feet! As the soldier tried to get his bearings, Logan slowly worked his hands up around the man's neck. As he closed in, he saw the fear in his mentor's eyes – the same fear he probably had seen in countless others, right before the end. Now, it was his turn.

"You tried to kill my friends!" the Titan screamed. "Now DIE!"

_I felt the CRACK in my hands as I snapped his neck. I watched as his lifeless body plummeted back to Earth – the same way I was going last time I checked. This free fall, it was a hell of a thing. Nothing like it in the world…_

_An idea grabs me. Quickly, I pull the cell phone from my pocket. Wind Shield Tech's on, blocking out much of the passing wind as I fell back down. I dial a number I know by heart. It rings for a few, then I hear the answering machine pick up:_

"Hello, this is the Teen Titans HQ. Sorry we couldn't be here to pick up your call in person, but if you leave a message and a number we'll get back to you as soon as we get back. Thanks."

_I hear the BEEP. Now, I compose my final masterpiece…_

"Hey guys, it's me," _I say._ "Heh, looks like I let you down again. It's like all my life I've just been going, going, going. Kinda wish I'd taken more time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. Guess it's too late for that now. You're the best friends I ever had. And by the way…Love ya, Rae."

_The phone falls from my hand. My guess is I have about ten seconds to impact. I close my eyes one last time. I can see Raven, reaching out for me. God, I love you, babe._

_Countdown's begun. Five. Four. Three. Two. One…_

* * *

The doors to the elevator opens at the tower. The disheveled heroes shuffle their way into the mess.

"Jeez, those H.I.V.E. guys really did a number on this place didn't they?" Cyborg said, looking around. "Man, it'll take me days to get those scorch marks off the walls.

As Starfire and Robin assessed the damage, Raven hurried into her room. Tossing off the jacket, she quickly donned another one of her outfits. Back under the hood, she felt better. Mento's hands roaming her had been a nightmare. Then again, if those had been Beast Boy's hands…

The girl shook her head, discarding that image form her mind. She was still somewhat peeved at that kiss he had given her. When he got back, she'd get him for it…maybe.

Returning to the living room, her eyes were soon drawn to the flashing light on the phone's answering machine.

You guys see this?" she asked.

"Yeah," Robin said. "Probably the mayor wondering where we've been all day. Just erase it."

As the Titans exited the room to get some well-deserved rest, Raven hovered her finger over the button. Chances were there was nothing good on the tape anyway. Then again…

Shaking her head, Raven sighed. No reason to worry.

Her finger came down.

* * *

CRASH! A woman let out a scream as a body slammed down onto the hood of a car in the intersection. The force was so powerful, it tossed the body back up into the air, finally coming to a rest a few feet away. Blood slowly leaked from the ears and mouth as the crowd recoiled in horror at the sight of the little green man. It wasn't every day someone fell from the sky. Then again, this day had been a weird one for Jump City.

* * *

Raven sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed. Her shoulders heaved as tears fell from her eyes. Her door was locked. She didn't want the others to hear her, to see her suffer.

Sitting before her was a small tape player. For what seemed like the millionth time, she rewound the tape and hit 'PLAY'. For the millionth time, Beast Boy's words emanated from the machine. This was his last message to them, the one she had chosen to listen to rather than follow Robin's suggestion. The words were all too clear. Mento was dead. Blood was dead. Beast Boy…was dead.

Wrapping her arms around her pillow, the Goth girl continued to cry as the tape rewound for the millionth and first time. The Titans would know soon enough. Tonight, however, she would dream of the man called Logan…the man she loved.

* * *

Logan's body sat motionless on the asphalt, his eyes locked open from the moment of impact. The sirens were whirring in the distance, echoing off the walls of the city's buildings. He had done the impossible: He had saved the Titans and eliminated both Brother Blood and his corrupt mentor. The city, and his friends, could breathe a sigh of relief, and venture out into the daylight once more without fear. One final mission…complete.

_Thump-thump._

_Thump-thump._

A nostril flared. An eye blinked.

_THUMP-THUMP._


End file.
